


Broken, but in Love

by JazzyTheGryffindor



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Big Gay Love Story, Bottom Harry Potter, Depressed Harry Potter, Depression, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Draco Malfoy - Freeform, Draco Malfoy Loves Harry Potter, DracoxHarry - Freeform, Drarry, Eventual Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Fluff and Smut, Gay, Gay Sex, Harry Malfoy, Harry Potter - Freeform, Harry Potter Loves Draco Malfoy, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, References to Depression, Smut, Suicide Attempt, Top Draco Malfoy, draco malfoy x harry potter - Freeform, harry potter x draco malfoy, harryxdraco - Freeform, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 338,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27705590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzyTheGryffindor/pseuds/JazzyTheGryffindor
Summary: Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the chosen one, goes through so much pain, both emotional and physical. He gets abused, tormented, and has fallen into a deep depression. He's been suffering through this depression for a while, but every year it just gets worse. Harry has to compete in the Twi-Wizard tournament, will it only make everything worse or is it the start of something new to him? Will someone finally notices his pain and help him?A story full of love, encouragement, friendship, angst, romance, fluff, healing, (occasionally smut) and much more.⚠((Warning))⚠This story contains Depression, Abuse, Anxiety attacks, Mentions of suicide, blood and gore. Oh, and the chapters get longer as you progress through the story.A ɾҽɱιɳԃҽɾ ƚԋαƚ I ԃσ ɳσƚ σɯɳ αɳყ σϝ ƚԋҽʂҽ ƈԋαɾαƈƚҽɾʂ αʂ ƚԋҽყ Ⴆҽʅσɳɠ ƚσ J.K. Rσɯʅιɳɠ. Aʂ σϝ σƚԋҽɾ ραɾƚʂ, I ԃσ σɯɳ. :)
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 47
Kudos: 151





	1. Harry's Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> Editor's note:
> 
> I would like to warn all of you that there are pieces of Depression, anxiety & Anxiety attacks, abuse, mentions of suicide and Self Harm. I will update this if there are any more... Err... Triggering things in this story. As well as that warning, let's all raise our wands to everyone who died in the books/movies of Harry Potter. But if you do come across anything triggering just scroll down until you can tell if it's safe. And everything else is essential to read if you want to understand how the story goes.

Harry's depression started back in his 2nd year, he really felt like a freak because he could speak Parseltongue and even worse, the darkest evilest wizard could do too. The students at Hogwarts use to ignore him and whisper cruel things about him, they still do but mostly the Slytherins. But Harry could ignore his depression that year, all he really needed were his two best friends that didn't care what flaws he had because they accepted him for it. He was grateful for them.

The Dursleys were much meaner than they were in Harry's third year. Abusing was all they did to him, whether it was something little or big that he did. Like if he didn't hang out the washing, didn't clean the dishes right, burnt food, didn't clean the entire house.

Throughout summer holidays before Harry's 4th year, Harry had been feeling more depressed than ever. And oh, how he hated the Dursley's guts so much. Aunt Petunia always woke him up at 6 am in the morning and having to cook food for three people in the morning, and sometimes at dinner time, was really annoying and exhausting. He wasn't allowed to cook for himself, it was just pure slavery for what the Dursleys put Harry through.

It was one early morning; Harry was up at 4 watching the bright yellow ball rise over the land in the distance. He could never get enough sleep.

"Harry!" Aunt Petunia screeched, followed by her bony knuckles tapping against the door. "Get down here and start making breakfast!"

Harry groaned from under the blankets. It's too early for this! He thought as he got up and looked around for some clean clothes.

"Are you awake, boy?" Aunt Petunia screeched again. She banged the door with her broomstick. The noise was so loud and annoying, Harry couldn't go back to sleep even if he tried. With a spark of annoyance, Harry ran his hands through his messy hair and put on his glasses.

"Potter!"

"I'm awake!" Harry shouted with an eye roll. Oh, how he wished he could just be dead sometimes, so he doesn't have to do these chores or even live life. He'd rather be at Hogwarts, but even so, he would still have to complete all his work and study for little exams.

Aunt Petunia opened the door and wrinkled her nose at the mess called Harry's room. "Come down and start breakfast before your uncle wakes up, unless you want a morning punishment from him," she ordered. She was about to turn around and close the door when she added, "and clean this room after your chores today!" She gave her nephew a disapproving glare as she shut the door and left.

It was another summer day of cooking and cleaning; however, Harry did not mind as much because chores meant that he was busy and being busy kept his depression away for a few precious moments. Harry was starting breakfast when his aunt came in and started cleaning the countertops and the table. It was her pre-breakfast scrub down while Harry cooked. It was a routine that happened every morning since the summer started. A routine they followed in silence as Aunt Petunia ignored Harry, only speaking to him if she caught him cooking something the wrong way.

Harry would have eaten Dudley's leftovers, but he just wasn't hungry, he was never really hungry anymore, so he started the dishes. Can't they just sodding cook for themselves, and not force orders for me to do like a house-elf, Harry thought, feeling a rush of anger boil inside him as he was washing the dishes. He just finished washing a plate when Uncle Vernon came into the room in his yellow checkered Pajamas and orange sleeping gown.

Uncle Vernon gave Harry an angry glare, picked up his favourite mug and walked over to the kettle. He looked down into his mug and grunted. "Boy, what is the meaning of this?! There is black stuff in the bottom of my mug! Are you trying to poison me?!" he shouted angrily, letting spit fly out of his mouth which made Harry wince.

Harry quickly shook his head. He hated how angry his Uncle could get even if he didn't do anything wrong. "N-no sir," he stuttered out of fear but tried hiding it. He didn't want to appear weak in front of this man. "I would n-never do such a thing!"

"Lies!" Uncle Vernon shouted again.

Harry frowned and shook his head again, but quicker as he stared into the cold eyes of his Uncle. "I'm n-not lying!"

Uncle Vernon grunted angrily and walked out of the room and into the lounge room. He wandered over to his lounge chair and pulled something long out from underneath.

Harry saw it was the belt he'd always get beaten with, he quickly walked back slowly towards the stairs for an escape but Uncle Vernon came rushing into the room and grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him upstairs to his room. Harry struggled to get loose and knew it was going to be as bad as it was before. Uncle Vernon shoved Harry into his room, yanked the belt hard with each hand to test its strength and sneered at Harry.

Harry backed up, scared for what was coming next. He nearly tripped over a book that was laying on the floor. N-no! Not again! He watched as the figure of his Uncle walked over to him with the belt in his hands. The next thing he knew he was in pain, a lot of pain.

Uncle Vernon whipped Harry on the torso with his belt, snickering at the pain he could see all over the boy's face.

Harry yelled in pain, crying out, wanting someone to help him but he knew he deserved this pain. The second whip of the belt hit Harry on his stomach, he felt like he was going to be sick, so he laid on his stomach and tried to get up. He then knew that was a bad decision because Uncle Vernon then whipped him with the belt on his back before Harry could try and escape.

Harry screamed in pain again, wanting to curl up into a ball and cry forever. He thought that his friends would call him a freak if they knew what the Dursleys all did to him. Then the fourth whip of the belt came, hitting Harry harder over the back. The young Gryffindor tried to hold back more tears, but they just kept falling from his eyes. He waited for the last whip to come, but it didn't. He slowly looked over his shoulder but still saw Uncle Vernon crouching over him.

"You get no food for a week, boy!" Uncle Vernon roared at Harry, hit him with the belt again then left the room.

Harry just lay there, crying silently, he hated this. He just wanted to die, none of his friends could help him. Harry believed that his friends probably wouldn't try helping him because they thought he was a freak.

He started having an episode, and a bad one. It was about a year ago, getting caned by Uncle Vernon in the bathroom. He remembered bleeding lots as well as spewing up his own blood. The tears just kept on falling off his face and onto the carpet at the pain he is in and has been in.

Once Harry had enough energy, he got himself up and crept to the bathroom. He locked the bathroom door behind him, walked over to the sinks and stood in front of the mirror. He looked at his self in the mirror; a pale, messy, black-haired boy stared back at him. His hair was damp like he had just come inside from the rain, though Harry knew it was sweat.

Harry felt more tears run down his cheeks, he looked away from the mirror and opened the cupboard doors under the sink. He just looked through everything in the cupboard until something caught his eye, a shaver. It was brand new, still in its packet and looked really sharp. Harry then felt this familiar feeling come over him, he felt so down, so depressed and he really needed to cut.

He's been cutting himself for a while now. Almost five months. He deserved every cut he slashed into his skin. It all numbed him from the pain he was feeling on the inside. He really liked the numb feeling too. It was like a break from reality, a break from the pain.

Harry rolled up his sleeve and stared at his bare arm. His arm had a few little scratch marks from weeks and months ago when he used his nails for harming himself when he didn't have his scissors with him. He crouched down and looked through the bathroom cupboard and grabbed some scissors from the back of the shelf, looking at the sharpness of the metal. He sat down and before he knew it, he zoned out, still staring blankly at the scissors. He started slicing at his wrist, watching his skin form marks and then a small line of blood. It was so beautiful, like raindrops falling down a window in a storm. The overwhelming wave of numbness hit him. He wanted to see more and feel number. He sliced, again and again, the last cut the hardest, most painful and the deepest. I deserve this pain. I'm just a freak who shouldn't even be living, he thought as he sliced one more time to make five cuts in total.

Harry got up off the floor, washed and dried the blood off his arm and then rolled his sleeves back down. He put the scissors in his trousers pocket, unlocked the bathroom door and went down to the lounge room.

Harry snuck into the lounge room where Aunt Petunia was watching the news and hid behind a chair. He heard a news reporter say that a girl committed suicide due to her mother being an alcohol addict and was abusing her. The news reporter says she had been suffering from depression and anxiety and that she'd had self-harm cuts all up to her arms due to a razor blade. 

Harry heard Aunt Petunia say, "What a disgrace her mother is! Poor child, she doesn't deserve that treatment." Harry cringed at his Aunt's statement, and how Uncle Vernon treats him and how she does nothing but snicker as she hears his screams of pain.

That night, Harry was up in his room with his curtains and windows open. He felt the cool breeze against his skin and looked out at the moon. It was shining beautifully amongst the stars in the night sky. The moon kind of reminded Harry of a certain silver-eyed blonde Slytherin who's given him such a weird warm tingling feeling in his heart since the end of the second year. Even the thought of the Slytherin gave him butterflies in his stomach, but those butterflies flew away as he started remembering what Uncle Vernon did to him.

Harry felt the familiar depression drown him deeper into his sadness, so he scratched at his arm. He scratched and scratched at his arm, feeling the pain numb him of his emotions. He was then feeling a little sleepy, so he lay his head on his pillow, felt the cool breeze against his skin and drifted off.

*****

The Dursleys all ignored Harry like he never existed the next week. Harry believed that being ignored by them was good, he always went up to his room to read over all of his textbooks from when he first started at Hogwarts. He read books on transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Charms, Herbology and Potions. Harry actually learnt more when reading than actually being taught by a professor. He read over the potions he made during the first, second and third year of Hogwarts. Potions actually looked easy, it was just when Snape was breathing down your neck, that it was harder to do because of the pressure. Transfiguration seemed easy as well, just picturing the spell in your head and what it will do then casting that spell. When reading, it took his mind off his depression a little bit. It helped him, but after an hour it became useless.

He suddenly felt like Hermione, reading as her only hobby. As Harry got to know Hermione when starting Hogwarts, he always wondered how someone could read that much and not get bored at all. Now he knew why she loved reading, learning new things was kind of fun. Even if it was some muggle book about friendship or love, you can always learn something new by books.

One day Harry felt like he had literally nothing fun to do, (even though he liked reading) whilst living with the Dursleys. He could go for a walk to just head into town, but he had no money to buy a coffee or lunch. He could have sat outside in the gardens, but no, he was just feeling too depressed to do anything he'd like to do. So, he just stayed in his room, doing nothing unless Aunt Petunia wanted him to do something productive.

Harry was down by the gardens, weeding the last of the plants as instructed. He was picking up the bits of grass that started growing around the rose bush. It took him a good five minutes of weeding until he was done. He decided to go for a walk but didn't exactly know where he was headed.

He passed barking dogs and neighbours mowing the lawn until he reached a destination. An old graveyard. It was just a plot of land with a large black spiky fence, dead grass, mausoleums, and tombstones. He walked through the large black gate and followed a stone pathway until he was in front of a large statue of an angel. He sat down in front of it, staring up at it and wondered what it'd be like to be in heaven until he heard the sounds of knuckles being cracked. He quickly got up from the ground and turned around, Dudley Dursley and his friends were there and ready for a fight.

Dudley had a smirk to his lips and his stance made him look taller than everyone else. "Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Little Harry. All alone, so vulnerable," he said in a baby-like tone. Dudley's friends all snickered at Harry, and Harry frowned and turned away. He just wants to be alone. Is that all he can ask for?

"Go away, Dudley," Harry said when staring up at the angel. If only guardian angels exist, then would one be looking after him? How he wishes so. "All of you, just leave me alone."

"Or what?" Dudley asked as he cracked his knuckles again, clearly amused at how brave his cousin is. But all Harry wanted was to be left alone. Probably for eternity so he can die and rot here in this graveyard.

Harry got out his wand, pointed it directly at Dudley's face. He knew he wasn't allowed to use magic, but he'd mock his cousin any day just to see him run away and looking all scared. And if it is the only way to get his alone time, then so be it.

Dudley's friends all laughed at Harry and how brave he was being. They have never seen such bravery before, especially in their victims.

"Oh, what's Potter going to do?" asked one of the brown-haired boys, pouting at the black-haired spectacled boy. The pout turned into a sinister smile as he said, "Throw a stick?"

"Oh my, I'm so scared!" teased a blonde shaggy-haired boy, and he waved his hands in the air in fake surrender.

"Faggot," shouted another boy with short brown hair as he saw Harry looking at his best friend, Justin, who's the richest in the squad. He knew Justin was gay, and he secretly accepts it. He's the only one who knows Justin is gay. They've grown up together for most of their life.

Dudley backed away for a few steps and raised his arms in surrender. He knew just how dangerous this wand was, especially in the hands of a wizard. He also knows that his little cousin can't use magic outside of Hogwarts. "Get him!" he suddenly shouted as he didn't want to appear scared in front of his mates.

Harry took that as a cue and ran for his life. Running through the black cemetery gates, turning a corner as he reached a cul-de-sac and ran straight to a park, surrounded with a lot of trees. He looked behind him and still saw his cousin and his friends chasing after him. Dudley's friends were a lot faster than Dudley was since they were all skinny.

Harry ran and ran, looking back again and kept running until he was at the park. He raced through the park, jumping over small shrubs, ducking from low tree branches and zig-zagged through the lines of trees. He looked behind him for what felt like the 30th time, didn't see Dudley or his friends and ducked behind a tree. Panting, he glanced around his surroundings again but there was still no sign of his cousin.

Harry felt something hard hit him, he collapsed onto the ground and heard someone shout. But he couldn't quite catch what they were saying because he was a bit dizzy. He looked up to the person above him and saw that it was none other than Dudley. He tried his best to slowly back away, but someone grabbed a hold of him and yanked him up off the ground to his feet.

Harry blinked a couple of times, his vision blurry. Suddenly, a hand crossed his face and placed his glasses on his nose. "Thanks," he mumbled even if he knew he shouldn't be thanking these idiots. His vision came back, and he noticed that he was crowded by Dudley and his gang.

Dudley and his friends snickered at Harry. He then took a swing at Harry, punching him in the stomach. One of Dudley's blonde friends punched Harry in the jaw and another friend with brown hair punched him in the back.

Harry yelped in pain, falling back to the floor with a loud 'thump' and feeling something runny in his mouth. He spat at the floor, revealing a lot of blood, and crawled over back to the tree. He didn't make it as the blonde shaggy-haired friend of Dudley's started kicking him in the ribs.

"Stop! That's enough!" Dudley seemed a little apprehensive now, and Harry had no idea why. "Let him suffer here, he's the least of our problems," he said as he hesitated at the sight of his cousin, turned around and began walking back towards home.

"Oh, C'mon! We just started!" yelled the blonde shaggy-haired boy, who sounded extremely delighted at the sight of Harry who was all bloody and covered in dirt.

Dudley turned back around swiftly and shouted, "No! We had our playtime. Let's see if we can find someone else!" Harry thought that he saw... guilt in his cousins' eyes but he knew he was mistaken. It must have been the sunlight reflecting off his glasses.

Harry coughed up more blood, spitting and spluttering more. He hurt all over, his mouth, stomach, and ribs. He tried his best to get back up, but only managed to fall over. He lay there, wheezing for air and feeling his eyes burn with tears. He wanted to die right here and to be eaten alive by animals during the night. He wouldn't care about what happens to his body, he just wanted to be gone from this world. He is a burden and a freak after all. He was a mistake. He should have died instead of his parents.

Another one of Dudley's friends, a tall skinny boy with short wavy black hair and a pointy face with a strong British accent didn't leave with his friends and frowned at Harry. He turned his head to look at his departing friends. Well, so-called friends. He really didn't know why he was friends with those gits, the only reason why he was so close to them is because of his mother and father who are filthy rich and want him to have strong 'sidekicks'.

Harry managed to look up at the boy, whimpering and hoping the boy wasn't going to give him something worse. But he had to admit, that face was very handsome, and those soft brown eyes stared down at him with concern were very pretty.

The boy moved around the tree, so his 'friends' couldn't see him and crouched beside the boy whose name he knew was Harry. He stared down at Harry with that same frown, seeing the familiar emptiness in the boy's eyes as he did with his deceased big sister. He missed her so much. Killed by suicide because of bullying. He pulled those thoughts away and moved his hand up to Harry's forehead. Harry flinched, which made the boy pull his hand back an inch.

"Shh..." the boy whispered, staring into bright green eyes with worry. "I'm sorry...for what they did to you. I wish I could stop them."

Harry just stared at the boy in disbelief, not knowing what the boy was doing. "Then w-why are you, friends, with such...idiots?" he whimpered with a shaky breath but tried to hiss out the words. He didn't want to have anything to do anything with Dudley's friends, no matter if they are handsome or not. Well, this dude was the only handsome one in the gang.

The boy sighed and shook his head. He really doubts why he's friends with them too. "You don't understand what being rich is like, Harry," he said softly, giving a little smile. "Having a father and a mother who wants you to be friends with a certain type of people. Father calls them sidekicks, even if Dudley's the main boy of the group. I just wish I could...hex him into oblivion."

Harry stared at the boy in disbelief. He didn't know Dudley had wizard friends. But if Dudley knew, wouldn't he be scared of Justin? "You're a...?"

"My name's Justin, and yes," Justin said with a quick nod. He winked at the younger boy, grabbed his black wand from his coat pocket and pointed it at the other wizard's forehead, muttering a cleansing and healing spell.

Harry thought the other wizard would hex him, and he wouldn't have cared. He let the boy named Justin heal him, feeling the warm calming magic overwhelm his senses. "You've kept this from Dudley and his friends all this time? And aren't you Dudley's age?"

Justin shook his head and brushed a few bloody strands of Harry's hair out of his green eyes, "Harry, you know it's illegal to use underage magic and why would I risk my life to tell Dudley and his gang of idiots?"

Harry could have laughed, and the gentle touch from Justin suddenly calmed him down but it wasn't enough to make his pain go away. "Thank you, Justin." He tried to smile at the boy, but he could only muster a fake smile. It's all he really did now. Fake a smile. He even pondered if his friends are fake and are only friends with him because of his fame. What friends they would be... It's not like he needs them when all he needs is the sharpness of his scissor' blade. And they wouldn't care that he cries himself to sleep every night. It's something he has done for a while now. He has contemplated suicide too. There are sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet in the kitchen above the fridge... If only he could steal it and take it to his room... That will be the end of it. Just like that.

Justin smiled at Harry. At least he couldn't read minds. "It's no problem, Harry." He looked deep into those dull green eyes, either a forest green or an emerald green but he couldn't tell, "I hope this makes you feel a little better by saying it, but you have really pretty eyes."

Harry felt his cheeks warm up from the compliment as he stared into soft brown eyes, and a tinge of red appeared on his cheeks. "Thank you, again." It honestly didn't make him feel any better. This was only one person out of a whole world of seven billion people.

Justin nodded and placed a soft kiss to the wizard's cheek, hearing the sharp intake of breath from the younger boy. He stood back up, looked around his surroundings for muggles in view, smiled at the boy and apparated away.

Harry gave a small but fake smile and cupped his hand over his cheek the boy kissed. It lingered there, like if you stuck a lollipop to your skin but it was a nice feeling. He felt bad for liking the kiss. Was it acceptable to like guys? Harry didn't know but he hoped it was. But even if it weren't, he would just feel worse about himself. His self-esteem lowers every day.

The ringing of another one of Dudley's friends shouting 'Faggot' kept repeating itself. Harry frowned and really felt like a freak. The pain came back as he moved his leg. A sharp pain it was. He felt like a weak idiot and tried to get back up again. This time, he managed to stand up but felt the dizziness overwhelm him, so he quickly leaned his whole body against the tree. He stayed there for a while until the dizziness left, then he limped his way back to the house. God, he hated his life.

That night, Harry looked down at the floor in his room and thought back a week ago to the news and how the girl used to cut her wrists. He thought about that for a moment, his scratching and cutting with the scissors helped him a bit but not a lot. Harry did want to die, and he wants to stop his emotional pain and feel anything but sad and lonely. So, he quietly got up off his bed and headed to the bathroom.

He walked over to the bathroom sink cupboard and opened it up. He saw the new shaving razor inside the cupboard, grabbed it and then quietly hurried back to his room, silently closing the door behind him.

Harry sat on his bed with the razor, took off its packet and studied it carefully. He ran a finger down the blades of the shaving razor and noticed it made his finger bleed a bit. He smiled sadly and sighed. He wanted to undo the blades from the razor, so he grabbed his scissors and cut off the head of the shaving razor as well as the top rim. He grabbed a blade and took it off, and just like that it came off. Harry managed to get the other blades out as well and hid them in different places in his room in case the one he would use became lost.

Harry returned to his bed with the single blade in his right hand, he rolled up his left blue pyjama sleeve and studied his bare scarred arm. He brought the blade to his left arm and slowly but quickly sliced the blade across his arm vertically. He let out a hiss of pain as he watched the blood slowly form in the cut he made. This is good, this pain is good, he thought as he watched the drops of blood slowly fall down his wrist.

He felt like he needed to make more and so he did. One cut, two cuts, three cuts, four. Harry watched his blood form in his new cuts, watching as they ran down his arms. He got a whiff of his own blood, a strong metallic smell and he liked this feeling of numbness, so he rolled down his sleeve and placed his new friend into a hole in the neck of a teddy bear that he had always had. He tried getting some sleep but couldn't, so he just sat up in bed and stared outside at the street below him.

*****

Harry sighed miserably as he hopped into the back seat of the car. It was shopping day which means he'll be doing most of the heavy lifting. Merlin, he hates his life.

"Stop your complaining, Harry, and shut up," Petunia spat, glaring at him through the rearview mirror of the car. Dudley hopped into the front seat of the car next to his mother and smiled viciously at his cousin through the mirror.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry says and gets "rewarded" by Dudley farting in front of him. Harry winces and moves to the other side of the car, behind his auntie. He frowns and looks out the window as the car starts and Petunia starts driving to the shopping centre.

He mainly looked outside at the views of every house, street, car, and buildings they pass on their way. He ignored Dudley's farts, rude words, and terrible singing for as long as he could. The unfortunate thing was that Petunia locked his door and window from the driver's seat so he couldn't wind down the windows when Dudley's farts start stinking up the entire car.

They finally get to the shopping centre and Petunia finds a parking space not so far away from the actual place. Harry hops out of the car and pulls his hoodie up over his head, pulling on the chords a little and not wanting to go in at all but he must. His hoodies are his way of feeling a little uncomfortable and blocking out the rest of the world.

Petunia locks the car after getting the shopping bags from the boot and gestures her son and nephew forward towards Aldi. Of course, Dudley gives Harry a hard smack across the head like always and then catches up to his mother.

Harry frowns and really wishes a car can come speeding through the car park and hit him hard enough to kill him. While scratching at his cuts from underneath his sleeve, he slowly catches up to his relatives and follows them inside. As instructed to like always, he grabs a shopping cart and begins the slow journey of following his aunt around Aldi, only stopping when she puts items in the trolley.

All Harry does is push the trolley around and follows his aunt. He even catches sight of a few boys that look his age but they're always with girls who are probably are their girlfriends.

Dudley elbows Harry hard in the rib, making Harry hiss and clutch at his ribcage. "You really think you will ever find love?" he sneers as they walk past a few more girls, and he stands tall and winks at them. The girls giggle and quickly run off. It made Dudley feel proud. "Because a face and body like yours, I believe nobody would love you. Your mother and father even died because of how ugly you are."

Harry begins to feel the tears well up in his eyes at what Dudley's telling him. He even is believing Dudley, even if he knows he shouldn't. Every word that pours out of Dudley's mouth is like a saw that will rip into Harry's flesh and bury the words deep inside him. Is he really that... ugly? No, he couldn't be. He must keep telling himself that. He is not ugly! But He's just starting to believe it, and it really isn't helping his mental health at all.

Dudley smirked, feeling his power of superiority increasing as he stalks away from his so-called cousin. Harry's frown deepens as he continued to follow Aunt Petunia around the aisles in Aldi until they got to the meat section. His emotional walls were strengthening and growing higher with every person that looks at him strangely and Merlin, how he just wants to run away to somewhere and just stay there. All he needs to do is dins a rope, tie a noose, and just... find a tree or find a bridge to jump of. It would just fix everything, won't it? No more judgmental people looking at him.

He hid himself well under his hoodie and kept his hoodie down and over his head where he feels a little safe and secure. People still were staring at him, and he really was feeling like he was close to dropping off the edge now. The tears began to fall down his face, so he quickly looked down so nobody could see. What was their problem? Did he have anything on his face- Oh, of course? The bloody scar. Thanks, Voldemort.

Harry's head then began to start spinning and he just didn't understand this at all. Not only that but he was also feeling a wave of dizziness hit him hard over the head. The walls, the people, the checkout, the aisles all started spinning around him and his heart was gunning against his chest as well as his breathing which deepened rapidly. The bloody hell is happening to him.

"Hey, are you okay?" a deep but soft voice asked.

Harry couldn't comprehend who said that. All he knows is that Dudley and Aunt Petunia don't sound like that at all. His eyes were trying to scan the room and what was around him, but he could only see blurry people around him.

He just couldn't take this any more. He had to get away so that is exactly what he did. He ran, back out of Aldi and around the corner into an alleyway to take a breather. He leaned his back up against the wall, closed his eyes, and tried his hardest to breathe. The only sounds that were coming from his mouth were slight wheezes. Merlin, he just hated this. He wanted to die, to just leave this earth and never return.

"Harry!"

Harry's eyes shot open when hearing his name being called and looked to who called for him. It was his auntie and cousin. He just simply could not hear what his Aunt said. The roar in his ears was too loud, the thoughts racing through his mind were too loud, his heart pounding in his chest was too loud, it all was sodding too loud! Why can't he just die now so he doesn't have to deal with the punishments or whatever he'll be getting?

Harry then felt a sharp sting over his face and he just comprehended he had been slapped by his Aunt. He fell to the floor, on all fours, still wheezing but at least he had a little more oxygen to breath. His 's eyes were as wide as they could possibly get, and they darted around and tried to take in their surroundings. But it was pointless; he could hardly concentrate on a thing. He was just in so much pain too!

"Harry! Snap out of it!" Petunia hit him across the face again, this time it was harder. Harry inhaled sharply and everything around him began to focus. Honestly, he would rather suffer than see everything clearly again.

Dudley growled as he helped his cousin up and shoved him forward, making Harry quickly hurry to the car without being told to. He just wanted to leave. He wanted to leave the earth. When he saw the car's lights flicker, meaning that Petunia had unlocked the car, he quickly opened the back door of the car and hopped in.

The trip back to 4 Privet Drive was quite short, and Harry found out that Petunia had finished her shopping right after his little... whatever happened to him. He really didn't know what it was. Could it have been a panic attack?

Harry had to carry all the shopping bags in himself since he wasn't there to put the shopping bags in the car. What a "great" day it's been. As the last shopping bags were carried in, and he locked the car up and placed the keys on the kitchen table, Harry rushed up to his bedroom, grabbed his blade and went to the bathroom on the other side of the hall.

He locked the door behind him, rolled up his sleeve and digs his blade deep into his flesh. Harry hisses as he drags the blade across his arm, giving him numbness automatically from how much it hurt him physically. He started crying as he sees the blood start forming on the flesh line he made and dripping down his arm quite rapidly. It's the deepest he's ever cut, and he just doesn't care. If he bleeds to death he just wouldn't care. The words Dudley told him in Aldi came back to him in seconds. Unwanted, unloved, and ugly. Wanting to be more dazed, he slices at his skin again with great force until another deep line of blood formed and trickled down his arm. He actually added another eight cuts to his arm just to get him through the day or even a couple of days.

A loud banging, and it could only have been from a fist, was heard from the bathroom door. "Boy! Are you in there!"

Harry froze at the sound of his Uncle's voice and quickly managed to put his blade in the pocket of his hoodie. He didn't want to be found out, especially not by his uncle. Who knows what his Uncle would do to him then? "Yes, Uncle. I'm here." Can't he get some actual effin privacy? Jesus...

"GET OUT HERE NOW!" Uncle Vernon roared at him from the other side of the bathroom door. Harry sighs and opens the door after pulling down his long sleeves to cover the cuts. He hasn't even cleaned up his cuts so he's currently bleeding under his hoodie still. That's okay. Unexpectedly, he gets hit across the face by his Uncle and pushed to his room. He stumbles forward a bit but manages to pick himself up and rushes into his room from the hallway.

Uncle Vernon manages to grab him by the hoodie, throw him on the floor of his bedroom and beat him with his belt. Harry cried out in pain, just wishing the belt had knives on them or something sharp that is able to stab and kill him quickly. The next hit made him cry out to his deceased parents, wanting them to take this pain away. This life. Just to take it all away.

"You are a disgrace to this family and world!" Vernon shouted right into Harry's ear, gave him one last hard smack with the belt then left the room. Harry just cried, curling up into a ball on the floor and wished for his death to happen. It never came, of course. So, after a few minutes had ended, he used all his strength and got up onto his bed. He lowered himself onto his bed, so he stared up at the ceiling and really contemplated why he was even alive. What was the point in life? Did life even have a meaning? Harry just didn't believe so.

Wiping away the endless tears from his eyes, he decided to sneak down to the kitchen to the medicine cabinet. That is what he did so. He made sure his Aunt and Uncle was nowhere in sight and grabbed the small blue bottle with a white lid and label of white pills in it and rushed back up to his room. He paused when he passed Dudley's room. He just had to be sure of things... So, he knocked on his cousin's bedroom door.

Warning: Suicide Attempt!!!

Dudley's bedroom door opened and there he was, Dudley but listening to music through his grey headphones. He sneered at his cousin and began to shut his door again as he doesn't want to waste his time with such a dweeb, but Harry kept the door open. "What is it, you prat?" he spat at him. "What do you want?"

"I'm just here to ask if you would miss me or even care if I died," Harry askes of him in a flat tone of voice, not really caring what comes out of his cousin's mouth but he just had to ask. It would be at least nice to know if someone were to miss him, not that anyone will.

"No, you idiot!" Dudley scowled at him, not interested in what his cousin has to say or do. He just wants to go back to his video game with his mates. It's all he wants right now.

Harry sighs miserably as that's all he really needed to hear. "Oh," He says sadly and rattled the bottle of pills in Dudley's sight, half smiling at him. "Goodbye then." Dudley rolls his eyes and slams the door in his cousin's face.

Harry didn't even flinch from the door which slammed pretty loudly in front of him. He begins the slow journey back to his room, feeling his tears form in his eyes as he unscrews the lid from the bottle just to be ready. Goodbye world. The world only judged him anyway so why bother living? He angles the bottle to the side so two pills fall out onto his hand and he shoves it in his mouth without water for him to help the process of swallowing. Goodbye Ron and Hermione. He tips the bottle upside down until ten pills fall out onto his hands and he sighed. He could already feel the effects of the first two pills making him sleepy but that's not what he wants. He just wants this to end. Someone else can save the Wizarding World.

"What are you doing?!"

Harry froze, looked to his side and fount his cousin staring at him with disgust and... He couldn't see what that other emotion was, and he didn't care. Without a care, he shoved the pills in his mouth and tried swallowing them all. Of course, they all didn't go down easy and in a couple of seconds, everything started to spin and he felt some gross frothy liquid start coming up his throat.

Dudley's eyes widened at his cousin and what he had just done. Earlier when he slammed the door shut on his cousin's face after seeing the bottle of pills, he just knew something was up. He didn't think it would be this prejudicial.

He rushed over to his cousin so he wouldn't fall splat on the floor, and from behind, he tried to make his cousin vomit the pills up by pushing into his stomach with his hands. He could feel Harry slowly slipping away, and this ooze was coming from the inside of his cousin's mouth which was just disgusting and smelt like chemicals. "Come on, you prat!" He continued pumping Harry's stomach until he heard a gagging and vomiting sound, so he sighed with relief but kept pumping his cousin's stomach.

Harry's eyes shot open, he no longer saw darkness, and he vomited up everything he had swallowed. He began sobbing at what he had just tried to attempt. He wanted death anyway. There was not any reason to live. Seeing the vomited-up pills on the ground just made him vomit more and more pills up. He didn't recall swallowing so many pills. Wiping his mouth, he got up and went back to his bed where the rest of the pills were. That's when he saw Dudley.

"You idiot! What the bloody hell is going through your head, you attention-seeking prat!" Dudley quarrelled and went over to Harry's bed to put all the non-used pills back in the bottle and seal it shut. "Don't you ever make me help you like that again as the next time I'll just leave you where I found you." With a small frown, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Harry frowned at the floor where he vomited. Looks like he's got some cleaning up to do. What he didn't like was how his suicide attempt failed because of Dudley. Attention seeking prat is what Dudley called him. Yeah, sure. Let's go with that then. It appears that he's an attention-seeking prat. How utterly nice. That will totally make him feel better. Thanks, Dudley.

You're safe now from suicide Attempts!

For the rest of the day, Harry's been getting strange looks from Dudley and he just chooses to ignore him. It's all he really could do now. He's been trying to act as happy and optimistic as he could but thinks he failed that test. Oh well. Even during dinner, he had caught Dudley giving him glances every now and then like he was looking through his soul for the hidden truths locked inside himself. Good luck finding those secrets. They're hidden too deep within himself.

*****

Harry remembered he could go to the Weasleys for the rest of his summer. It was really hard trying to get himself out of bed, but he managed to do so. As much as he was excited, he also was a little frightened because what if a Weasley sibling walks in on him cutting in the bathroom? He just has no other place inside the burrow that was private enough except for the bathroom. Outside was definitely not an option either.

Harry got dressed, he pulled off his pyjama tops and felt a sting of pain in his left arm. He looked down at his arm and saw a whole lot of blood smudged everywhere on that arm. What a way to start a morning. Merlin! He quickly ran up to the bathroom to wash off the dried blood on his arm and pondered whether or not he should clean up the blood after cutting, but the sight of his own blood dripping down his arm was so enthralling and he just wanted to watch it for a while.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts because of a loud movement downstairs and headed back to his bedroom. He started to pack everything he needed to go to the Weasleys. Why didn't I start packing yesterday? Goddammit! he thought as he rushed to get as much into his trunk as he could until he caught sight of the little teddy containing his new best friend. Harry packed his little friend from inside the teddy, in case he needed it and put it inside an old muggle history book. He searched his room for another one of his blades which was situated behind a picture of his deceased mother and father. He grabbed that blade just in case he lost his main one and hid it in an old sock.

Harry stared at the picture of his mother and father and frowned at them as tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, mom and dad, that I've turned out this way," he told their happy faces. He wished he were happy, with best friends, a boyfriend- which he understands now that he wants. He's just not interested in girls and has never been. Well, he just hasn't found a girl to lay eyes on. Only a guy whose name is Draco Malfoy. Malfoy has taken his heart and locked it up in a trap of love so nobody else can get to it. "I don't blame you, of course," he said, shaking his head while a tear fell from his eye. "I blame myself. We all should be alive together, living a happy life but no. Fate made me this way and I know that someday I won't be able to take this pain anymore. So, I'll see you in heaven someday. Probably sooner than you think. I love you guys."

Frowning deeply, he packed up the rest of his things, locked them up in his trunk and headed downstairs. He hesitated as he walked down the stairs of the smiling faces of the Weasleys. "Oh... Hello." He didn't sound very happy to see them.

"Hello, dear," Mrs Weasley says brightly and sends Harry's trunk down the stairs towards Ron with just a little flick of her wand. Harry gives them all a smile, and anxiously pulls down his sleeves. A habit he's been doing for quite some time.

A slight cough was heard in the living room, but none of the Weasley's paid attention to it. Harry was the only one who looked to who the cough came from and saw Dudley sitting in his dad's armchair. He frowned as Dudley smirked at him. Bloody git...

"Hi Harry!" Ron said cheerfully when holding up his best mates' trunk, and Harry looks at him and fakes a smile. But then he sees the bruise on Harry's jaw, and focusses his eyes a little to look at it more. He wasn't the only one who spots the bruise as Fred and George both go up to Harry and inspects the bruise.

"Whoa, Harry," said Fred a little worriedly, and raises his eyebrows. "What happened here?" He points to his own right jaw but studies the bruise a little further. Harry's anxiety suddenly goes through the roof and he curses himself for not taking care of the bruise from the punch Dudley's friend gave him or even bandaging it up. He looks to Dudley, who gave him a serious look to say he should lie and that's exactly what Harry did.

"Um... nothing," Harry said quickly, not looking them in the eye and instead, looking down at the floor. He wouldn't tell them, of course. He doesn't want them to worry either way. The disbelieving looks the twins and Ron were giving him made him sigh. He had to at least tell them something, but not relating to what really happened.

"I was just cleaning, and I bumped my jaw on the end of the kitchen island," he told them. That wasn't so hard, and it seemed like a good lie. But that was it. He lied to them. The only people who actually give a shit about him. Well, he hopes they do anyway. "It happens. No need to worry." He doesn't even feel bad for lying. Merlin, what a freak he is.

"Oh, well a good healing spell will heal that up in a few seconds," said George suddenly, leading Harry over to his family with a hand on the small of Harry's back. He didn't seem to believe Harry much and so did his twin.

"Yes, a spell," was all Harry said but he didn't want the bruise to be healed. He liked the pain and he wanted it to last for as long as he can endure it. With the Weasley's, he Flooed to the Burrow by the fireplace in the Dursley's household and ended up in the lounge room of the Burrow.

"Come here, dear," said Mrs Weasley to Harry as she Accioed the red armchair towards her. She patted the armchair's back to let him know she wanted him to sit down so she could do the simple spell. "Let's fix your bruise up."

"Oh, you don't have to," Harry says uneasily, rubbing at his elbows. He felt a little uncomfortable now. He never lets anyone heal him anymore as they might roll up his sleeves. "The bruise can heal on its own. It's fine."

"Harry dear, it's really not a problem at all," Mrs Weasley said gently with sympathy and kind eyes. "You're mistaken if you think that I wouldn't leave that knowable bruise on your face." Harry eventually nodded and sat on the chair, looking down and away from worried eyes. He felt a little vulnerable here, like his sleeves were down but they thankfully were not.

"All done," Mrs Weasley said, and Harry looked at her in disbelief. "Yes, I'm done," she said when seeing Harry's mouth open to say something back. How could she be done? He didn't even hear her cast a spell or anything that feels like healing magic occur to him. He felt nothing.

"Thank you," Harry says softly and a little gratefully complete with a forced smile. He went to reach for his trunk, but it wasn't anywhere in the room. It occurred to him that either Fred or George took his trunk up to Ron's room. They didn't have to though. He was able to do it himself and he didn't want anyone to do things for him.

"Oh, it's no problem," said Mrs Weasley, waving a friendly hand at him. "Now why don't you go upstairs with Ron and get everything ready?" she suggested. Harry wanted to get away and be alone, even if it means he must escape into the bathroom for a few minutes, so he accepted her suggestion and followed Ron up to his bedroom.

His trunk was already on the spare bed in Ron's room and he rushed towards it. he didn't really need to do anything except put his clothes away in Ron's spare cupboard. He has no idea where he will hide his blades, but he will find a spot. Or he will just leave it in the book he previously had it in. That's a safe place, right?

Ron sat on his bed and watched as his best mate began putting his clothes away. He has noticed something in Harry's demeanour though. He isn't dumb. "Mate... are you alright?" he asked softly.

Harry looked at him and gave his best mate an assuring nod and smile. He hates that question. It's such a lie. "Yes, Ron," he assures him with as much guarantee as he could. He didn't think the tone worked well but that is fine. "I'm fine."

Ron looked at him, studying his best mates face for the truth. "Okay, I believe you," he said but he didn't really sound believing at all. Harry winced at the tone. Ouch. He hated himself for lying but what could he tell him? He would never tell Ron about what he goes through. It'll just lead to calling names, hatred, and ignoring as Harry believes. So, he plans to keep quiet.

*****

The Weasleys were like a real family to Harry and it made him a little grateful. They feed him right, treated him like he was a part of their family and showed Harry that they care and appreciate his existence. Not like the Dursleys ever did, and how miserable and alone they made him feel. He would still scratch at his cuts from time to time when he is spiralling deeper into his mental state. He didn't care about who was looking because it would just seem like an everyday gesture. But still, he always found ways to cut when the Weasleys weren't around. He mostly cut at night when they were all asleep so he could relieve his emotional pain. Except for one night.

Harry woke up with a racing heart one night because of a memory a couple of years back.

"Come here, boy!" Uncle Vernon shouted.

Harry only shook his head. He was five years old. Tears welled up in his eyes and his limbs quivered in fear. Uncle Vernon growled in frustration and yanked Harry towards him by the arm. His shoulder wrenched in pain. Harry gave a small squeak of pain and fear. "I'll be good, Uncle Vernon. Please, I'll be good, I promise! Just let me go!" Harry cried at the intense pain. "It hurts!" he cried.

The words echoed in Harry's mind. It hurts! Everything hurts! He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing mind. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. They were warm and fast. His throat choked up; his whole body began to shake. His uncle's screams began to echo in his head.

The pain he felt that day, when Uncle Vernon pulled his arm out of the socket, came back to him alive and burning. Harry held his shoulder with his left hand, remembering his uncle's words. "You deserve that pain you little freak! That's what you get for even living in my house! This should teach you to misbehave again!"

He looked over at Ron who was sleeping soundlessly in his own bed. He sighed miserably as he wished he could sleep for hours. He tried his best to go back to sleep when he calmed down but all he could do was wait. Wait until the morning came. But with a silent "Tempus," he knew it was around 3:25 in the morning. The memory-nightmare made him feel utterly worse. So, he quietly got up out of bed, grabbed his metal friend from his trunk and headed to the bathroom. He locked the door, walked over to the sink, and sat beside it. He felt the cold metal in his hands, rolled up his left sleeve and stared at the familiar cut's he's made in the past seven months.

Harry sliced the blade across some untouched skin on his arm four times, watching as the line he made became red on his skin. He let the blood flow for a while, watching as tiny drops of blood, similar to tears rolled down his arm and dropped onto the floor. 'Drip', 'drip', 'drip' was all he could hear until he heard a movement from one of the rooms. He quickly got up off the floor, placed his blade in his chest pocket of his pyjamas and headed over to the toilet.

He grabbed some toilet paper and wrapped it around his fresh cuts watching as the white toilet paper slowly formed red lines of blood and spread. The cuts stung as they kept bleeding under the toilet paper. Harry cleaned up the small droplets of blood from on the floor with some more toilet paper.

Harry then watched in horror as the bathroom door's handle started moving so he quickly dropped the toilet paper in the toilet bowl. He didn't know if he should just try to be as quiet as he could or actually flush the toilet and head on out. He heard a knock on the door.

"Hello? Who's in there?" Harry heard someone say from outside the bathroom door. He pulled his long sleeve shirt down and made no noise. He couldn't tell who that voice was, only that it was male.

"I know someone's in there," the voice said, sounding warm and friendly. Harry sighed and knew he would have to answer. Whoever was out there knew that someone was in the bathroom. "Who is it?"

"No, who's out there?" Harry asked at once, waiting for an answer. All he needs is to escape. That's all. But what if the person, whoever it is, starts asking questions? He would have to come up with something...

"George," the voice said. Harry didn't even know why he didn't recognize George's voice. Of course, the voice of George Weasley. He should have known. "Harry? Is that you?"

"Yeah, sorry," Harry says slowly as he bites his lip and thinks of something to say. He needs an excuse, and a good one. "I just... have the runs."

"The what now?" George asked, and it was clear that he sounded confused. He furrowed his brows at the word but what he needed was the toilet right now. "Never mind the explanation... can you please hurry because I need to go!"

Harry rolled up his sleeve and cleansed his arm off with water and chucked the bloody toilet paper in the bin. He then quickly rolled down his sleeve again and unlocked the door.

George Weasley, with bed head, stood in front of Harry tiredly. He had to admit that George looked kind of hot with his hair standing up at funny ends. "Thank you!" the Weasley brother said quickly, rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

Harry watched the door in front of him close and then stood there in shock. He just remembered something. Wait... Where's my blade! Shit! Shit! Shit! He searched through his Pajama bottoms pockets and his Pajamas chest pocket. He sighed in relief as he felt the cool metal against his fingertips in his chest pocket. He then quietly made his way back to Ron's bedroom, opening the door quietly and shut it from behind him. He snuggled in under the blankets of his bed and tried to get some sleep.

*****

The cupboard was dark and stuffy. Harry was sleeping on his dirty cot, curled up in a tight ball to keep himself warm. Suddenly, heavy footsteps and a sound of a door opening interrupted Harry out of sleep. It was Uncle Vernon, who was returning home drunk. Harry shivered from fear instead of the cold. He knew what was coming. His uncle was going to teach him a lesson for being a freak. No matter how terrified Harry was, he knew he deserved it.

The cupboard door slammed open. Harry yelled out in surprise and fear... always fear.

"Don't you dare scream!" his uncle roared.

His breath smelled of alcohol and his words slurred. Harry backed away as far as possible from his uncle's reaching hands, since he couldn't fit inside the cupboard. The hands inched closer to Harry, so he pressed himself against the wall and covered his face. He didn't know what else to do, he was only three years old. Only three and he never felt so scared in his life.

His uncle grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out. Uncle Vernon began to strangle him until he started to see spots that clouded his vision, before he was thrown to the floor, gasping for breath. He backed away from his uncle who was towering over him. At three years old, Uncle Vernon was always the monster in Harry's nightmares.

He cried out as the first kick landed in his side. Harry looked up and saw the gleaming, evil, red eyes of Uncle Vernon, his teeth grew sharper and his laugh rang out through the house, ten times louder than normal. His uncle's features began to change, until suddenly Ron was standing over him with his hand raised for another strike. Harry screamed and covered his face. He screamed until he felt someone shaking him awake.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"

Harry opened his eyes to see Uncle Vernon looming over him in the dark. Harry yelled out in fear. He felt his heart race in panic." No... don't hurt me," he cried.

Still drowsy and confused from a heavy sleep, Harry still believed he was that three-year-old boy from his dream. He could see the shape of his uncle's body coming closer to him with his hand rising to strike. "No, Uncle Vernon! I'll be good! I promise I'll be good!" he moved away from Uncle Vernon. "Nooooo....please Nooooo...! "

"Harry!"

Harry backed all the way to the wall and wrapped his arms around his knees. Burying his head in his lap, he laid out a strangled sob. He just wanted to die.

"Harry, look at me," a gentle voice said. Harry didn't want too. He didn't want to look at Uncle Vernon. He didn't want to get hurt.

"I'm not your uncle, Harry. It's me, Ron. Do you remember where you are?" Ron didn't understand why Harry was so upset about this nightmare he had. What was his Uncle doing to him in his dream? He hoped it wasn't anything terrible. He is sure as bloody hell hoped Harry wasn't being hurt because he will storm that muggle's house and hex that bloody bastard of an Uncle no matter if he's not allowed to do magic underage.

Harry tried to remember, but he was so scared and lost. He was still half asleep. "My cupboard," he whispered. "I'm in my cupboard, and I'm a freak. I know you're going to punish me... you're going to punish me because I'm bad!" He broke down in a heart-wrenching sob and couldn't stop, he was just so tired of it all! The pain inside was too much, it was too overwhelming. Harry scratched at his arm hard, knowing he was opening his skin back up.

Ron hugged his best mate, really thinking hard about these nightmares his best mate was having. First, they were dreams about Voldemort and now dreams about his own family? Bloody hell! What was happening to his friend? He really was pondering about asking his mother about this nightmare. Maybe she could help Harry?

"Get off!" Harry shouted as he tried untangling himself from the hug. He couldn't be having any human contact right now. He didn't deserve to anyways, after all, he was a freak.

Ron frowned at his best mate, "Harry, look at me!"

Harry flinched. He angered his uncle. Now a punch or a kick was surely to come. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he cried over and over again.

A vice-like grip closed around Harry's right arm. Another arm forcibly lifted up his chin. Harry suddenly saw the face of Ron Weasley. The one in his dream.

Overwhelming fear took over to the point where Harry couldn't move, couldn't talk, he just kept seeing Uncle Vernon in Ron's eyes. Harry wrenched away from his best mate and glared at him. The sleepiness and confusion had now faded away. Harry was now aware of where he was and who Ron was. Shit! he thought, staring into his best mates' blue eyes. Now he knows... This is bad... "R-Ron?"

Ron gave his best mate a slow smile. "Yes, Harry." He nods slowly. "It's Ron. Now, please, tell me what happened in your dream. I know it was about your Uncle so don't try to send the conversation into a totally different subject."

Harry said nothing, he just couldn't. He didn't want his best mate finding out about the punishments he gets at the Dursleys. He knew Ron would think of him as a freak and unfriend him. He wiped away the tears in his eyes quickly and stared down at the blue fluffy blanket on his bed.

Ron sighed in frustration; he really wants Harry to tell him what's up. "Harry, is everything that happens at your relative's house okay?" he asks him softly. "They don't... abuse you, do they?"

Harry looked back at him sadly but tried to suppress it with annoyance. He couldn't let his best mate see what he really is. A freak. "No... I just have a nightmare of seeing it happen," he told him just to shut him out of the conversation. "It's normal, Ron. Please, come off it!"

Ron shook his head in disbelief knowing he'll have to keep an eye on his best mate. "Alright, Harry. Do you want anything from the kitchen? Like a glass of water?"

"No, I'm fine," Harry muttered. Just please, leave me alone, he thought. I deserve to be alone. I'm just a freak who deserves no friends.

Ron found it hard to believe him just by looking into those green eyes that looked so dull. But then again, he didn't know if his best mate was telling the truth. Perhaps, he was jumping to conclusions... But his best mate was crying... Ron then yawned. "Well, I'm heading back to bed. If you really need anything or need to talk about anything just wake me up."

Harry nodded sadly. He felt Ron's presence disappear from his bed, so he lay down on his side, facing away from Ron. He felt so embarrassed because he let Ron see him in his vulnerable state. He just wants to die. Is that too much to ask?


	2. Harry's Break

It was a nice evening; the sun was setting, and the sun's rays covered the earth in bright orange light. Harry always loved the evening, as the orange of the afternoon appeared in the sky, giving all the trees, bushes, and landscape a nice auburn look.

Harry was slowly walking down the stairs, quenched with thirst after a long boring game of exploding snap with Ron. It was getting to the point where he just wanted to escape Ron because he just kept asking if he was all right every now and then. His embarrassment kept increasing as he remembered that night very clearly when Ron found him having a nightmare. He then hesitated as he was called from the kitchen by a familiar soft motherly voice.

"Harry dear?" asked Mrs Weasley who was doing the dishes in the kitchen.

Harry slowly walked in the kitchen from around the corner. Strangely enough, Mrs Weasley was washing the dishes the muggle way. "Yes, Mrs Weasley?"

"Please, call me Molly, Harry," Mrs Weasley requested with a hand full of bubbles and a few plates.

"Okay, Molly," Harry said slowly and feeling a bit weird for calling an adult by their first name but he dismissed the feeling. He walked around to the kitchen cabinets and grabbed a glass cup from the middle shelf. He was about to fill the glass up with water but as soon as he looked back into the glass, it had water already in it. "Thanks." He gave Molly a fake smile and hoped she'd buy it. The Weasleys were all so nice and all he does is waste their space and time. He is a waste of space here. Just another burden...

Mrs Weasley put her wand back in her apron pocket, smiling at him. "You know, you are allowed to use magic at the Burrow," she said, pointing to a bowl on the table.

"But I'm underage," Harry said with the glass of water halfway to his mouth. "Won't I get expelled from Hogwarts?" He took a sip from the glass, walked over to the table, and grabbed the bowl Mrs Weasley wanted him to bring to her.

Mrs Weasley raised her hands and shook them, signalling Harry to put the bowl back on the table. "No, no. Not at all, dearie. The Burrow is surrounded by wards, these wards protect us from muggles seeing us as well as the ministry. You won't get expelled unless you get caught, which you won't. Levitate the bowl over here, please."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows but then knew what she meant. He reached for his wand out of his pocket, aimed it at the bowl and cast a "Wingardium Leviosa." He concentrated on levitating it up and across the room, trying not to drop the bowl as it levitated over to the sink to where Mrs Weasley stood.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs Weasley said, grabbing the bowl from mid-air and started scrubbing it with a sponge over the kitchen sink.

"You're welcome, Molly," Harry replied blankly. He thought back to the second year and always wondered how Ron got better at casting those spells, he probably practised over the holidays with small things, like quills and books.

"Woohoo!" yelled a voice that came from outside.

"Oh, Fred and George," Mrs Weasley said with a tired sigh, looking out her kitchen window with a smile. "They're always playing Quidditch this late in the afternoon. Why don't you go play with them? I'm sure you haven't had a chance to ride your Firebolt in ages."

Harry thought about it for a minute, but what will happen if my scars show in the wind? Harry looked down at his long-sleeved shirt. Nah, I'll be fine. They won't get a quick enough glimpse of my scars because of my Firebolt. Harry nodded at the suggestion, excitement flaring in his eyes. "Yeah, I might as well go and practice. Maybe Fred and George could even teach me a few tricks."

"Very well, dear," Mrs Weasley says. Then her expression turned a little serious, confusing Harry a little bit until she said, "Just be careful, won't you?"

"Of course, Molly," Harry said with a quick nod as he left the kitchen to slowly walk up to Ron's bedroom. Reaching Ginny's room, he saw Ron with Ginny clearly having a heated conversation. He just hoped Ron wasn't talking about what happened only nights ago. He blinked and continued to Ron's room to grab his Firebolt.

He scanned Ron's room until he came across Ron's cupboard. The cupboard kind of reminded Harry of the Narnia Wardrobe from 'The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe.' Curiously, Harry opened the cupboard up and found what he'd been looking for. Except, this wasn't where he'd normally keep his broom. He shrugged, grabbed his Firebolt, and shut the closet door with a small 'Thud!' With his Firebolt in his hand, he raced back downstairs and out the back door.

Harry felt relief, he felt free. He missed this feeling, flying like there wasn't a single care in the world. He lifted his leg over his broom and took off with a jump, soaring through the sky. Harry saw Fred and George chasing something golden, it could only be the practice snitch. He sped towards them, nearly crashing into Fred whilst hot on the trail of the snitch.

Fred lifted his Cleansweep 5 up just in time so he couldn't fall off. "Heyyy," He yelled annoyingly with a prolonged 'y' as he trailed behind Harry. "Watch where you are going! Don't want to fall off, now do you?"

Harry shook his head at Fred, gave him a frown, and quickened his pace, catching up to George in a second. George looked back at Harry who was catching up to him quickly. "Hey there, little brother. Who do you think will win? Gred or me?"

"Hmmm... neither of you," Harry said with a little smirk as he sped right past George, catching the snitch, and ending the little game with a shout of triumph.

"Hey! No fair!"

"We were out here longer than you were," Fred whined but with a little grin. He and his twin would rather let Harry win than them or their family. It's just the Weasley way.

George held his hand to his heart and sighed in defeat. "Oh Freddie, how will we ever deal with being beaten by Harry?" Harry gave a little chuckle at them, but it didn't reach his eyes like a normal laugh would.

The three flew back down to the ground. The boys landed almost gracefully on the ground until the sound of a cowbell was heard from in the house.

"DINNER TIME! C'MON EVERYONE IT'S DINNER!" Mrs Weasley sang as she jingled the cowbell in her hands.

"It's dinner time, already?" Harry asked in surprise, wondering how someone could cook a whole meal in under 5 minutes. But he swore he saw Mrs Weasley doing the dished before he came outside with his Firebolt.

"Yup, that woman can cook a whole meal for the Wizengamot in under a minute if her life depended on it," George said while carrying his Nimbus 2000 on his shoulder.

Ginny was the first down the stairs and the first to sit on her chair. Fred, George, and Harry came in through the side door, being the second, third and fourth ones to the dinner table.

"Mooom," Ron said with a prolonged 'o' as he walked into the kitchen, sitting next to Harry. "Do you have to ring that hell of a bell?"

"Yes, Ronald. It does let you know it's dinner time, doesn't it?" Mrs Weasley asked her sixth-born as she put the bell back on its shelf.

Ron rolled his eyes at his mom, knowing she was right about the bell, but it was just so damned annoying!

Mrs Weasley caught her son's rude gesture and placed both hands on her hips. "Ronald Billius Weasley! Don't give me an attitude."

Everyone turned to look at Ron.

"Sorry, mom," Ron said awkwardly, sinking into his chair in embarrassment and his face turned a bright red. After that, everyone laughed at him and dug into dinner.

As always, once Harry finished his dinner, he retreated to the bathroom to puke out the food he tried to eat into the toilet. Anything on his dinner plate made him sick to his stomach and he couldn't eat but managed to as he didn't want anyone to worry. But he knew nobody would worry that much about him. However, that is what he thought.

Just little things like Quidditch, and practising spells, always made the time fly when staying with the Weasleys and it was less depressing. Harry felt kind of guilty for not talking to Ron and Hermione about his depression, but he really didn't want to worry them anymore because they had their own problems to deal with and they'd think he was a freak if they ever found out about his self-harming. So, with that in mind, Harry just kept quiet and bottled up his emotions even more since it was dangerous cutting at the Weasleys because you never know who is going to barge in on you at any moment. But Harry managed to sneak into the bathrooms at night to cut.

*****

Hermione's parents decided to let her stay with the Weasleys for the remainder of the holidays just so Ron and Harry don't get bored on their own. Knowing Ron, boredom is the least likely to happen.

Harry was sitting in the loungeroom with Ron, playing a game of Wizards Chess when there was a knock on the door.

"Do you think that could be...?" Ron asked with a knowing smile and Harry shrugged at him.

Harry got up, walked over to the front door, and opened it. There, standing in the freezing morning weather, was Hermione Granger in a creamy white coat.

"Hey, Hermione. Do come in." Harry said welcomely and had been engulfed in a big hug from Hermione. He hugged her back gently but didn't feel as if he deserved them. Hugs were for people who needed and deserved them, right? Harry did not believe he needed or deserved them.

"It's so good to see you, Harry. You don't know how lonely it gets with just my parents," Hermione said, then she looked up, and ran into Ron's arms. "You two, Ron. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Hermione," Ron said while not knowing what else to say so he awkwardly patted her on the back. He's still not used to girl hugs except with his mom and Ginny which are rare occurrences.

"Where are your things?" Harry asked, searching outside for a familiar-looking trunk but there was no trunk to be seen. He was going to bring it in for her, even if he slaves for mostly everyone now. Shame he lives in a cruel world... What's there to live for? He's only here to be Ron's wizard chess mate, to be Hermione's study buddy, and the Weasley's waste of space and food. They give him food but all he does is vomit it up.

Hermione gave Harry a dumbfounded look, stunned that her best friend would even forget that her trunk would already be up in Ginny's room. "Honestly, Harry. They're already upstairs."

Harry looked back at her and nodded, feeling stupid that he'd forgotten that Hermione probably charmed it to float upstairs as she walked into the wards. But why didn't he see it earlier?

Hermione saw the unfamiliar look in Harry's eyes and looked at him worriedly but shrugged it off as normal teenage behaviour. "Anyways, what shall we do?" Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione quickly cut him off," And no, we're not playing Wizards Chess or Exploding Snap!"

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione, not liking the day already. "Fine..."

Harry shrugged and looked out the window into the cold chilly morning. It really was beautiful outside, but he prefers snow. Nice white snow. Whitish blonde... He shook his head, sending the sudden thought of Malfoy away. "Maybe we could go for a walk?"

"Sure, but it sure is cold outside," Hermione assured them with a little shiver. It couldn't have been too cold outside, if it was snowing then yeah, it would be rugging up weather.

"As long as it's not cold enough to freeze us to ice, then we'd be okay," Harry told them, looking out the window at the grassy field where little dandelions that look like the sun grew. "Besides, we can cast warming charms on us if we need to."

The Golden Trio all agreed on going for a walk, even if it was -5°C outside. It really was a beautiful day; the birds were singing out to one another and the scarecrows were doing their job at scaring the crows away from the corn. They decided to go walking in the countryside, passing many fruit trees, the country roads, and stealing a couple of apples to chew on. Hermione wasn't fond of stealing and snapped at the boys for doing so but Ron only shrugged, and Harry stared at the ground numbly.

They walked past the green and red apple trees and Harry couldn't help but to stop and pick a green apple. He had no idea why he did so, it just felt like he needed to do it. Harry just stared at the green apple, trying to figure out why he chose this one instead of a nice red juicy apple. Then the thought hit him, Draco Malfoy.

Why the hell was he thinking about that git? But he does wonder if Draco's straight or not... He probably is since he's a pureblood and apparently must produce an heir in the future. The impossible thought of creating an heir with Draco popped into his head but he shook that thought away. It was impossible anyway.

Harry thought about last year and in Hagrid's class. Draco had become so unbelievably attractive and was so hot, even if he was a mean git. His white-blonde hair that shone in the sunlight, his perfect mouth that should be blessed with kisses from the angels, those silvery eyes that he swears are made of actual diamonds... He was brought out of his thoughts as a hand was being shaken in front of his eyes.

Hermione waved her hand in front of Harry's eyes to try and stop him from thinking deeply. "Hello? Earth to Harry. Snap out of it!" she said agitatedly and wrinkled her brow. "Stop staring at that apple and eat it already!"

Harry blinked a few times just to make sure he wasn't still thinking. "Right, sorry," he said blankly and took a bite out of the green apple. It actually tasted pretty good. It was sour tasting, but good.

Ron nudged Harry in the shoulder, a little worried for his best mate. He's seen how different Harry's been since taking him to the Burrow from the Weasleys. "You alright, mate?" he asked him carefully, furrowing his brows. "You look deep in thought."

Harry nodded slowly, taking another bite of the green apple. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said and gave them a smile just so they wouldn't worry anymore. "I was just... thinking."

Hermione gave Harry a knowing smile, wondering if she's missing out on something or if there's a someone in her best friend's life that she doesn't know of. "Who are you thinking of Harry?"

Harry began to blush as the thought of Draco flooded through his mind again. Perfect whitish blonde hair, pretty silver eyes that are so breathtaking... "Uhm... Let's head back," he said quickly as he wanted the subject to change. "I'm guessing it's nearly lunchtime."

"Alright, Harry," Hermione said, knowing that Harry is keeping something from her, but she decided to ask him about whatever it is a bit later in the day.

The trio started to head back to the burrow, walking past all the muggle farms. Harry finished off the green apple and buried it in a patch of soil, hoping that one day it'll grow into a big apple tree.

*****

"Hermione?" Harry asked as he was seated on his bed in Ron's room, snuggled up in the fluffy thick blue blanket. He just wanted to ask her a few things related to...love.

Hermione turned her head from the window that looked out into the distance and looked at him. "Yes, Harry?"

"What does it mean when you..." Harry hesitated and bit his lip, thinking about how to word what he was about to say. "Feel some kind of warm tingly feeling in your heart when you look at someone? And butterflies whenever that someone walks into a room that you're in."

Hermione blinked at him and smiled knowingly. She giggled at her best friend, knowing exactly what it meant. Oh, her best friend's in love! "It means you like someone, Harry!" She told him excitedly, her eyes gleaming with an inner light. "Do you have a crush on somebody? Who is it?"

Harry was really thinking about this. Does this mean he likes... Draco Malfoy? No. Surely, he doesn't like him. He's a git. How could he like him? How could anybody like him? He's just a fowl mouthed git! But he does have really pretty eyes... A handsome face...

"Well?" Hermione asked, intrigued. "Who is he?"

Harry looked at her in shock. He didn't think she'd find out this easy that he was gay. "Hermione... I..."

Hermione smiled reassuringly at him and placed her right hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay to like guys," she said gently, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "It really is Harry. And I've seen you staring at the twin's, or any guy we come across once every while. There's no need to feel bad about it, you know."

Harry felt his blood rush to his cheeks, staining them with a tinge of red. He would like to tell Hermione, but could she keep this kind of secret. If Malfoy ever found out about his little crush... Oh, he didn't want to know. "I..."

"Harry, is there a certain Weasley boy you're interested in?" Hermione suddenly asked with a little laugh. Oh, this was exciting for her! She's never had friends who had crushes on boys or girls and she's always wanted to have a chat about crushes.

Harry bit down on his lip and shook his head. He doesn't know how to tell her. It should be so easy but talking about your crush is kind of hard. "I don't know who I'm interested in... I mean, there's a guy who makes me feel..."

"-All warm and fuzzy inside?" Hermione finished her best friend's sentence with a smile. She sat closer to him, intrigued about this boy her best friend likes. "Who is he, Harry?"

Harry sighed and collapsed backwards on his bed. He pictured Malfoy from last year, giving his book bag to... Was it Crabbe or Goyle? Harry can't tell which is which as they both look the same. He remembered how Malfoy walked up to him, those cool silver eyes shining as they pierced into his very soul. That gorgeous smile and he had to admit, that smirk was bloody hot. Even as the Slytherin bit his lip as he stared at him, it was just so... beautiful. It was like looking at a fallen angel, just without its wings and a git-like attitude. He honestly wondered what Malfoy would be like without that posh attitude, without that sneer and Merlin, without a large amount of hair gel used on that perfect hair that Harry wants to run his hands through.

"Harry?"

Harry was too busy daydreaming about a particular blonde Slytherin to even hear what was going on around him.

"Harry?" Hermione tried again. She smiled and decided to say every boy's name she knew of just to see if Harry gave a reaction. "Ron? Blaise Zabini? Seamus Finnegan? Dean Thomas? Gregory Goyle? Vincent Crabbe? Fred Weasley? George Weasley? Terry Boot? Michael Corner? Anthony Goldstein?"

Harry rose an eyebrow at his best friend, not knowing what she was doing. He looked at his fingers, fiddled with them and started picking at his nails out of boredom.

Hermione continued, "Neville Longbottom? Theodore Nott? Ernie McMillian? Justin Finch-Fletchy? Wayne? Zacharias Smith? Stephen? Kevin? Draco Malfoy?"

Harry looked at her as she said the last name. But one thing was sure, he didn't want to be found out this easily. Even if he did have a crush on Draco Malfoy - which he doesn't - he can assure that.

Hermione almost squealed happily at the news and cupped her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my goodness, Harry!" she giggled and bounced up and down on the bed. "You like him?!"

Harry shook his head, but the blush that was forming on his cheeks was very noticeable and told Hermione otherwise. "No..."

"You do!" Hermione teased with a little push on Harry's upper arm. She wasn't even grossed out that Harry liked Malfoy. But to her, there really wasn't anything about Malfoy that was attractive in any way. That's just her opinion though, there could be plenty of girls who like that git.

Harry's blush was only growing redder. "I really don't..."

"Harry." Hermione couldn't help but smile, she rubbed Harry's upper arm up and down with reassurance. "It's okay if you like him. He may be a total foul-mouthed evil little cockroach-." Harry chuckled at her words and remembering last year. "-But if you really do like him, I will always accept it. I will always accept you for who you are and who you like."

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry said, giving her a little smile. The blush was still formed on his face and he just couldn't get rid of it. "But I really don't like him like that..."

Hermione sighed in disbelief and hit his shoulder with her book. "Yes. You. Do!"

Harry flinched every time his best friend hit him, but he had to tell himself it was only Hermione being playful and nothing and nobody else. She wasn't Uncle Vernon punishing him in any way.

"Admit it, Harry!" Hermione beamed. She just didn't see what she was doing to Harry, hitting him with her book. Nobody knew and Harry preferred that. "You like him."

"Like whom?" Hermione and Harry looked up at Ron's door to find none other than Ron Weasley himself leaning on the door frame. Ron came in and sat beside Harry. "Who do you like?"

Harry shook his head and rushed out of the room; he didn't want to have these types of conversations anymore. He knew Ron hated Malfoy, what good would it do if Hermione spilled his secret? Well, if it even is a secret.

Hermione glared at Ron. How dare he scare Harry away after she was just about to get the truth out of Harry. "Ron!" she spat and hit him with her book. Ron didn't even wince from the hit. "You scared him off!"

Ron shrugged and looked her in the eye. He just didn't know why Harry had to run off as he mentioned liking people. "So, who's this girl he likes?"

Hermione shook her head and walked after Harry, leaving behind a confused Ron in the bedroom. She found her best friend in the kitchen, staring absentmindedly at the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. "Harry?" she started by being soft ad assuring. "Are you all right?"

Harry looked over at her and nodded. He was really feeling himself sink deeper into his depression at the thought of losing Ron as a friend because of some crush and then Hermione. But she was here with him and not upstairs with Ron. "I'm fine, Hermione."

She sat next to him, grabbing an apple and bit a chunk out. "Is this about Ron finding out about him?" She noticed that Harry looked away in guilt. She sighed. "Do you not think he'll accept you?"

Harry said nothing and didn't move a muscle. But as he did, he motioned towards the back door before placing his hand on the knob and looking at her sadly. "I'm going to go for a walk... I want to clear my mind."

"Alright," Hermione then said and knew her best friend would want some time alone to think. "Happy thinking!"

Harry didn't hear what she said as he already turned the doorknob and headed out into the cold evening. He didn't know where he was heading as he let his body guide him away from the house. Next thing he knew, he stood underneath a tree. He decided to sit there for a while and to just think, think about if it was okay to like guys because boys were the only thing on his mind. He never notices the girls he walks by; they're all just blurs. But the girl's boyfriends he does take a really good look at. He does not know what he's into in a guy. Obviously, a guy that is kind, caring, handsome, sweet, smart, and intelligent - but in their own way...

He didn't even realize a 3-meter long brown snake had just Slithered past him until he just saw its movement in the grass. Hell, would it be crazy to just have a conversation with it? "Hello, sssnake... I'm Harry."

The snake looked at the human boy curiously. "Human? You can talk to me?"

Harry, surprised that it even would speak to him gave the snake a small nod. "Yesss, I can. I'm not a normal human though."

"What do you mean?" the snake asked and curled itself into a sitting position. He's never talked to a human before and even if he did, they never understood him.

"Do you believe in magic?" Harry asked the snake with a small grin. It was a fake grin, of course. He pondered if snakes could see beyond the soul... "And if I may asssk, what isss your name?"

"My name isss SSSerpentine," Serpentine the snake said, trying to give the boy a smile. "And sssince I am ssspeaking to a human boy, I guesss I'm either crazy or magic doesss exssissst."

Harry laughed at the snake, but it wasn't a real laugh as he felt too down. "Ssso, you're not going to bite me?" he had to ask as he knows snake bites hurt. That bloody Basilisk.

Serpentine shook his little head and he swayed from side to side. "We sssnakesss only bite humansss if they try to hurt usss or if they block our path. We hate being caved in. I actually lossst my brother becaussse of a human. Well, two humansss. They cornered him and ssstabbed him with what they call a ssshovel. I wasss there to sssee it all happensss. I just wanted to sssneak attack the humansss for payback."

Harry frowned at the snake. He just realized how alike snakes are to humans. They both have family that they love and protect. "I'm sssorry for your losss, SSSerpentine. I never knew."

"It isss okay, Harry," Serpentine said sadly, his little tongue popping out of his mouth for a few seconds. "It isss jussst a life and death sssituation. It happensss at sssome point in our life."

Harry nodded and hesitated at the thought of death and just disappearing from existance. He almost laughed as he was having a decent conversation with a snake. "C-Can I pet you? I've never patted a sssnake before and humansss do have sssnakesss asss petsss."

"I don't sssee why not?" Serpentine said as he slithered closer to the boy and moved into a spiral shape. "Sssso, what are you, if not a human?"

"I'm a wizard," Harry said simply, lowering his hand to carefully rub the snake's delicate scaly skin. He thought that snakes would be slimy but no, he has been wrong to think that. They feel like lizards.

"A wizard? Like Albussss Dumbledore?" Serpentine asked, looking up at him and finding the human's hand felt really nice on his skin.

Harry stared down at the snake in disbelief. He didn't know Dumbledore has talked to snakes before. "You know Albussss Dumbledore?"

"Yess," said Serpentine with a nod. "Albusss and I have met a few timesss on sssome of hisss tripsss. I have not ssseen him for centuriesss though."

"I never knew that..." Harry said. He'd have to talk to his professor about this at some time. It would be intriguing to hear actually.

"But he couldn't ssspeak to me like you can," Serpentine said with a sad little hiss. "He ussssed sssome sssort of device. Can all wizardsss ssspeak to usss ssserpentsss?"

"No," Harry said, miserably sighing and shaking his head slowly. "It isss very rare for wizardsss to ssspeak with sssnakesss. It isss called Parssseltongue, or Parssselmouth. Sssspeaking Parssseltongue is known to be very bad and evil becausse the only other wizard besssidesss me that can ssspeak Parssseltongue isss a very evil wizard known asss Voldemort. He killsss anyone who getsss in hisss way."

"Oh," Serpentine said. He looked up at the boy, studying him from head to toe. "But you do not ssseem like an evil or bad boy."

Harry let a small sad smile come across his features. If he loses his friends at least he can have snake friends. Merlin, he sees himself as more of a freak now. "I'm not. I am jussst a boy who grew up with thisss ability."

Serpentine glared at the boy and hissed in disbelief; he could see the lie in the boy's facial features. "You are lying."

Harry winced at the angry snake and leaned his back against the tree trunk. "Sssorry, Ssserpentine. I wasss cursed asss a baby. Voldemort killed my parentsss with the killing curssse and tried killing me but the ssspell rebounded and killed him inssstead." He lifted his fringe up for the snake can see his scar. "Ssso, the ssscar isss a curssse. I wasss not born with the Parssseltongue ability. Asss Voldemort'sss ssspell rebounded off me, a part of hisss sssoul trapped itssself inssside me ssso I can ussse hisss Parssseltongue abilitiesss."

"I'm sssorry I had to asssk you that, Harry," Serpentine said with a down demeanor. He looked at his tail and decided to wriggle it.

Familiar cow bells went off from inside the Burrow. Harry sighed and looked at the Burrow. "Well, Ssserpentine. I guesss I will sssee you around sssome other time then. It would be around dinner time for me."

Serpentine swiftly looked at the house in anger. "I hate that bell! It isss horrible! I can hear it from my own Burrow!"

"I'll talk to Mrsss Weasssley about the bell for you," Harry said, promising the snake that he will try to do something about the bell. "I'm sssure ssshe'll agree to not ussse it when ssshe knowsss it disssturbs the wildlife living around here."

"Thanksss," Serpentine said with a polite nod.

Harry stood up from the ground and wiped the dirt off his trousers. "Thanksss, again. It was really great meeting you, Ssserpentine."

"Asss of you." Serpentine slithered off back to his burrow.

Harry returned to the Burrow for some dinner, even though he vomited it all up afterwards. He just felt worse after vomiting, he just wished he could sleep an entire day or even week at times, so he doesn't have to deal with the emotional pain anymore.

*****

In a couple of days, Sirius had come over as well. Harry felt a little bit happy because he got to see Sirius from time to time, but nothing could keep his depression aside. Probably not even love. Harry wondered if there were any wizards who go through depression and anxiety just like him.

The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were all sitting around the fireplace with a nice warm hot cocoa in their hands. All the curtains in the Burrow we're all closed due to Sirius visiting for the day. Sirius was somewhere in the Burrow, probably looking at the Weasley's family portraits. All of a sudden, the Floo opened up and out came Mr Weasley.

Mrs Weasley was the first to notice him, greeting him with a kiss and a hug.

"Hey, everyone! Guess what?" Mr Weasley asked with beaming excitement at his children, Harry, and Hermione. Everyone looked over to Mr Weasley with wide eyes, wanting to hear what he had to say.

"I've got tickets to go see the Quidditch World Cup!" Mr Weasley said, shaking his hands in an almost Jazzy way. Everyone stared at Mr Weasley, wanting to hear more but most importantly if he had enough tickets for the whole family.

"I have 8 tickets, one for everybody. Come and get them!" Mr Weasley said as he reached inside his pocket to grab the tickets.

Harry and Ron looked at each other with excitement and were the first to get their tickets, then came Ginny, Fred, George, and Hermione.

"But Sir, who's the last ticket for?" Hermione asked as she grabbed her ticket from Mr Weasley. She thought it would be okay to join them, even though she doesn't really read that much about Quidditch.

Mr Weasley turned to look at a confused Hermione and he smiled at her. "That, my dear, is a secret."

"That ticket, Miss Hermione Granger, would be for me." Sirius came around the corner to join the family of redheads, Harry, and Hermione.

"Ah Sirius, how great of you to join us," Mr Weasley said, handing Sirius the last ticket for the Quidditch World Cup and giving him a friendly little handshake.

Sirius waved his hands, disregarding the ticket. "I'm afraid, I can't accept, Arthur. Thank you, anyway. It's just that the Ministry is still out to find me. It'd be suicide if I went to the Quidditch World Cup."

Harry hesitated and looked to the floor at that word his godfather had said. Suicide. He wonders what it's like to die, to just... Whatever happens after death, there are many conspiracy theories about if there is an afterlife or if heaven and hell exist.

"Ah, my apologies Sirius," Mr Weasley said, giving the man a remorseful look. He and so many others wish for Sirius' freedom from Azkaban. Harry wants it more than anything. He doesn't want to live with the Dursleys any more. He wants a home. Somewhere he's accepted but a voice deep inside is telling him to stay with the Dursleys and how much of a freak he is.

"There's no need to apologize, Arthur," said Sirius, shaking his head. "It was probably just a misunderstanding."

"But Hun. How did you get these tickets?" Mrs Weasley asked her husband as her curiosity got the best of her and apparently her children too.

"How'd you do it, dad?" Fred asked his father, raising an eyebrow as he and his siblings awaited an answer.

"It was a gift from the minister himself," Mr Weasley said, eyeing the tickets in everyone's hands with a big smile. "You see, he gave me a favour to do and in return, I got these free tickets."

Mrs Weasley placed a hand over her heart and sighed with gratitude. "Oh, how wonderful of him," she beamed. "We should invite him for dinner sometime to give thanks for the tickets."

Mr Weasley laughed with joy like he knew something she didn't. "Oh, no. I asked him that and he said he doesn't want anything from us in return, but he thanked me for the invitation."

"How grateful of him," Mrs Weasley said sweetly. Then she gave her husband a long lingering kiss.

"Mom!"

"Dad!"

"No PDA in the living room!" Fred and George said with disgusted looks on their faces. They weren't the only ones as Ginny and Ron too looked disgusted.

Harry let out a small smile at the Weasleys; it was actually nice to see a loving family for once. Yes, the Dursley's gave each other love, but not as much as the Weasleys do. This family was just a full-on love giving family.

"Oh, my children. My dear, dear, children," Mrs Weasley said with a cheeky and flushed smile. "You'll all find love someday; have kids and you'll be in our place. Why don't we start hanging some Mistletoe up everywhere? That is so you can all learn to love and appreciate each other."

"Noooo!" whined Ron and rubbed at his face with his hands. He didn't like this one bit, nor did his siblings.

Fred and George looked at each other in disgust and shock. "No way, I'm not kissing him!" they chorused, pointing to each other.

Harry sighed at the Weasley family. He actually thought the twins, Percy, and Charlie looked attractive; he wouldn't mind kissing them. He blinked down at his Hot Cocoa as he was not really thirsty anymore.

Sirius walked over to Harry, sitting beside him, and nudging him on the arm. "So, how're you doing?"

"I'm fine," Harry lied, trying to keep an actual smile on his face while looking down to the ground. He just hoped his godfather couldn't determine his lies that easily.

"Soooo," Sirius said with a prolonged 'o', staring concerningly at this godson. "Hermione told me at lunch that you were deep in thought on the morning walk. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Harry started to blush, he looked over to where Hermione and Ron were. They were at a pretty good distance away, so if he wanted to tell Sirius anything he could. "Uhm... N-no?" he stuttered. Darn it! That would give him away for sure.

Sirius rolled his eyes knowingly. He knew that look, James had always stuttered when talking or even thinking about Lily. "Mm-hmm," he said with disbelief. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk to me about or even ask me? You know you can talk to me, Harry."

Harry sighed slowly and looked down into his mug of hot chocolate. "I know, Sirius." What could he tell them? It should be easy but really it isn't.

"So, who's the girl you're into?"

Harry looked up at Sirius into his grey-blue eyes, giving him the look. He just hoped the look was enough. And if it wasn't, he would just have to stare at the twins in a not-so weird way.

Sirius nodded, knowing that look like the back of his palm. He had that look when coming out to his best friends, and so did Remus. "Ah, so it's a guy then."

Harry was still looking at Sirius, fear in his eyes from how his godfather would react. Now he felt like this conversation was getting too alarming. He hoped he would accept him. If he didn't, he knows Sirius would disown him or something. He just wanted to run. He was scared of what might come from his godfather's mouth.

Sirius frowned, seeing the fear in the boy's eyes was heartbreaking. It reminded him of himself back in the days when coming out to James, Remus and... Peter. "You know it's okay, to like guys I mean," Sirius said to him in a soft and assuring tone of voice, letting his godson know that it really is okay. "I'll even tell you a secret. Back in my days in Hogwarts, I had a crush on a guy. He was actually my best friend, Remus Lupin."

Harry sighed in relief, but he still felt miserable. It was good to know that two people said that being gay was acceptable in the wizarding society. "You mean Professor Lupin?"

Sirius gave a little chuckle and nodded with a slight red tinge to his cheeks. Oh, the memories. "Yes, Harry. Professor Lupin. However, promise me you'll keep it a secret, won't you?"

"I promise," Harry assured him with a nod. He distractedly took a couple of sips of his Hot Cocoa and stared ahead of him at a white pillow. If only it had a little tinge of blonde to it. Okay, what the fuck was he thinking?

"Anywho... Let's just say Remus and I did go out with each other back in Hogwarts," Sirius said distractedly as he was getting lost in his memories of childhood.

Harry nearly spat out his Hot Cocoa in shock but was saved as his palm shot up to his mouth to save from spillage. He didn't want to stain the Weasley's furniture or flooring. But most importantly, he just found out something about his godfather and Professor Lupin. "Merlin! That's wonderful!"

"Oh, I know," Sirius said with a sigh, a little sad that the relationship didn't progress. It probably would have if he never went to Azkaban. "It was a long, long time ago, and I know that Remus is currently dating my cousin's daughter, Nymphadora."

Harry felt sad for Sirius. Loving a guy for as long as he did, but then losing him to another person. It'd be heartbreaking and Harry didn't think he'd be able to take heartbreak without breaking even more.

Sirius saw the thoughtful look on Harry's face, clearly thinking deeply on something. "So, are you going to tell me who this man you've got your sight on is?"

Harry sighed; he didn't know how Sirius would take knowing he liked a Malfoy. He knew Sirius' cousin was Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy but didn't know how well he'd take it. "I'm not sure if you'll like it- like him," he corrected himself.

"How? He can't be that bad, can he?" Sirius asked curiously. He could tell Harry's expression wasn't normal, so he skipped the topic. "Anyway kiddo, it's late and I better go. You can tell me about this guy some other time, or even write to me about him."

"Okay. Have a good evening, Sirius," Harry said before leaning into a hug. Hugs. Still such a strange way of showing family and friendship love. He even isn't used to them yet.

Sirius happily hugged Harry back before letting go and standing up from the couch he was previously sitting on. "Have a great time at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry."

"Will do and have a safe trip back to... wherever you're going to hide out," Harry said, slightly waving a hand goodbye to his godfather.

"I hopefully will and goodbye, Harry," Sirius said before disappearing into the next room, waving back but with more enthusiasm.

Harry sighed in relief; it was great that someone knew that little secret about him. He turned his head and looked at the Weasleys. He placed his hot cocoa down on the table beside the lounge he sat on and headed up to Ron's room for a minute or two.

He sat on his bed in Ron's room and stared down at the wooden floorboards. He pondered what it would be like to have his mother and father alive. Would he still be...gay or would he turn out to be straight? Would he have the best life, or would he be one of the unpopular kids? He has always wondered what it would be like to actually speak to his mother and father, to actually have a conversation with them. Being with Sirius was like having a dad. He remembered last year when Sirius told him about some of the mischiefs, he and his 'Marauders' got up to. He remembers cracking up in laughter. Oh, how he misses laughing. Misses smiling for that matter.

He frowned and collapsed on his bed, rolling on to his side and just lay there staring out the window in the far side of the room. He started feeling tears well up in his eyes and he told himself no. Don't cry now. Don't cry!

Harry groaned in frustration and searched his trunk for his blade. There, in the book, he found it. He walked out of the room towards the bathroom and closed the door behind him, pushing in the lock so nobody could enter unless he allows them to. He stood in front of the sink and rolled his sleeves up past his elbows. He ran his finger down his scarred arm, feeling every cut he has made previously. He pressed his blade into his skin hard and pulled it across his arm until blood began to seep out. Harry sliced the blade across his skin again. The pain of the cuts soothed Harry. It calmed him down. He didn't even realize that the tears were falling down his cheeks.

Feeling satisfied and in a numb haze, Harry washed the blood off his arms and dried them before heading back to Ron's room to hide his blade back in the book. After hiding the blade, he hopped in bed and pulled the blankets over himself. He just wanted to fall asleep, he tried but ended up just lying there even as Ron came in when it was time to go to sleep.

Ron stared at his sleeping best mate in worry. He knew Harry had been keeping to himself lately but shook the thought away as it was just probably adolescent moods. But he remembered the nightmare Harry had, remembered hearing him shout in fear because of his uncle. It terrified him to think of the nightmares Harry had been having. They sounded pretty intense. He hadn't talked to Hermione about Harry's nightmare because, well, he just didn't think Harry would want him to. Even if he himself had a disturbing nightmare he would not want it to be shared around.

As Ron slid into bed, he could just see his best mate's green eyes staring down at... whatever he was looking at. Although, it kind of scared him. It was possible that Harry could be sleeping with his eyes open. But just imagine that. Imagine waking up to eyes staring at you and a body lying motionless with just the slightest motion of their chest moving up and down. It'd just be horrifying. He blinked at the boy and closed his eyes, letting sleep take over his body as he lay in bed.

*****

Harry and Ron were so excited they couldn't stop bugging Hermione, well, Ron bothered her the most and Harry only faked his excitement as he just felt too depressed these days to be excited about something. Harry knew better than to anger Hermione, he never liked to anger anyone he cared for. He knew how to keep his emotions tucked away, he's been doing that his whole life, except when Snape kept pestering Harry about his father and how 'Ignorant' and 'Lazy' he was.

Harry didn't want to lose his friends; it'd just make him feel lonelier. Even if he did have Hermione and Ron, he still felt pretty lonely, like they were becoming more than friends but that didn't really bother Harry. Yet, if they did start a romantic relationship with one another, Harry would just put on his fake smile and wish them happiness even if he wanted to be loved by someone who'd deeply care for him that way. Harry knew Ginny has been crushing on him for years, but she's always had been like a little sister to him.

Harry knew better than to let his emotions go loose, he didn't want to anger Mrs and Mr Weasley in case they wouldn't let him go to the Quidditch World Cup. He apprehended he was jumping to conclusions by thinking about Ron's parents like that, he was relieved that Mr and Mrs Weasley thought of him like he was their own child. Of course, he kind of was, since Ron is like a brother to him. Waiting on the Quidditch World Cup felt like forever, it was like time itself was slowing down for himself, and the Weasleys.

*****

Ron lay awake, thinking about the big day ahead of him. He couldn't help but think about who would win. Without hesitation he started asking questions, not knowing if there would be a reply or not. "Harry? Are you awake?"

To Ron's amazement, Harry was awake. Harry grunted and rolled over on his side, trying his best to fall asleep. Though he hissed as he rolled onto the arm with all the cuts on it. "Yes, Ron. Why?" 

"Nothing, it's just. Who do you think will win?" Ron asked quickly, hoping for an answer straight away. "Ireland or the Bulgarians?" What Harry wanted to know was how could someone be this excited during the night?

Harry rolled his eyes; he did not want to be talking about this kind of stuff at night. He was trying his hardest to sleep but he always ends up waking up during the night at some point.

"Harry?!" Ron whispered but louder, wanting a reply and someone to talk to him. He just couldn't keep quiet at all.

"Umm... I don't know, probably Ireland?" Harry suggested tiredly, wanting to go to sleep so he doesn't wake up feeling even more depressed. But nothing has been helping his sleeping situation and lately, he just doesn't seem to care anymore.

"You think?" Ron asked, sounding a little amused.

"Please, go to sleep", Harry said with a long yawn and he planted his face in his pillow to try and shut out the moonlight that shone into the bedroom. "I'm tired, and apparently, we'll be walking a lot tomorrow."

Ron rolled over on his bed, so he was facing Harry. Can't he be just a little curious about this? "Oh, alright. But who do you go for, though?"

Harry grunted again, feeling irritated and tired. He just wants to try and sleep. Is that really too much to ask? "Um... The Bulgarians?"

"That's great!" said Ron, beaming at this knowledge. "Me two. Who's your favourite player?"

Harry felt like shouting at Ron to shut up, but he just rolled onto his shoulder and tried his best to fall asleep but couldn't manage to do so. He remembered Ron talking about the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum. "My favourite team player in the Bulgarians would be... Viktor Krum," he lied as he didn't actually know who he was but apparently to Ron he was a star.

"Bloody Hell, Same!" said Ron. "Would you rather be a Seeker for the other team and playing against Viktor or be the actual Bulgarian seeker?"

"I don't know, what would you choose?" Harry asked irritably. He knew it was best to question Ron as he had a lot of knowledge about the Bulgarians. He also knew that he could fall asleep listening to Ron go on and on about the Bulgarians, and so he did. Harry fell into a deep sleep, much like he does after cutting.

"How about you, Harry? Harry? Oi! Harry!" Ron whispered and sighed, laying back on his bed. "Bloody Hell, Harry. You had me scared." Ron thought for a moment if Harry were asleep, he could say anything to him. He decided not to and just head to bed, better safe than sorry, right?

*****

Malfoy Manor

Draco sat silently on his grey canopy bed in his forest green silk Pajamas with his legs crossed. He was reading a muggle book called 'Twilight' after coming back from the shower and shaving his legs. He liked the feel of his legs after shaving, so very soft and smooth.

It was very interesting, what Muggles portray vampires to be. Their version of vampires is like the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters in a Muggle pink cheerleading outfit with high heels and a hair bow. Okay, maybe not exactly like that but it's still funny to think about. Suddenly, there was a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in?" he said as he sat up, putting the book down on his vintage bedside table.

Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy had wandered into his son's bedroom wearing his own silk Pajamas but dark grey and, on his face, was, of course, a smirk. "Draco?! Ah, there you are! Good evening son, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Draco gave his father an excited smile and he checked out his nails. "Yes father, I cannot wait!"

"That's vast," Lucius said, his expression merely softening. "Now, we have a guest to accommodate for the remainder of the holiday."

"Is it Crabbe and Goyle?" Draco asked, even though he knew it would be his cousin. He just loved messing with his father, it was just one of those father and son things. The only time his father would put on his 'Malfoy' mask was in public, at work, in a mood (which he normally is.) Malfoy's need to keep to our standards, even though Draco hates it so much.

Lucius rolled his eyes, shook his head but played along.

"Is it... Pansy?" Draco then asked and his father shook his head again. "Theodore or Blaise?"

Lucius shook his head again, feeling as if this was going nowhere.

"Oh, I know! Is it Potter?" Draco asked as a joke and a blush formed on his cheeks from thinking about him. Darn Potter with his perfect smile, and those green eyes, and his excellent quidditch moves...

Lucius looked at his son with concern running all over his face, especially with the reddening of his son's cheeks.

Draco knew his father could see the slight red tinge to his cheeks, but that didn't matter. "It's Ivy," he said earnestly with a smirk. "I know. Just playing with you."

Lucius nodded with a wry smile. "Yes, my dear boy. Come down to greet her," he said quickly, flipping his hair as he exited his son's room. Draco smiled at the thought of seeing his cousin again after it has been many months of seeing her.

"Draco!" Lucius yelled from in the dark candle-lit hallway outside of his son's bedroom.

"Coming, father!"

Draco raced out of his bedroom through the double wooden doors, down the darkened hallways of the manor lined with windows as tall as two doors with long black velvet curtains that nearly touched the floor, centuries-old wall candles that lit up the hallways and dark wooden floorboards that seemed to go on for miles. As he neared a T section of a hallway which led to another side of the manor, he took a right and ran past the statue of 2 grey dragons, down the large silver and green luxury bifurcated staircase. Nearly tripping over the last step, he strode into the Entrance Hall to greet his beloved cousin.

"Draco!" came a familiar warm female voice.

Draco walked up to his gothic-styled cousin and wrapped his arms around her in a hug but made it quick, so it doesn't look too sympathetic to his father. Meet Ivy Black, his cousin. She's a goth with black curly hair like her father, pale skin and blue eyes like her mother. She lives in both worlds, the wizarding world and muggle world. Her mother owns a lot of muggle and Wizarding fashion stores throughout the world so she's definitely wealthy. She is the daughter of Sirius Black and Willow LeStrange. Draco only knew that his cousin exists because of his Aunt Bellatrix and her wedding. Of course, Draco wasn't born then. Father and mother were both teenagers at the time. He only knew that at his aunt Bellatrix's wedding, Sirius and Willow got pretty drunk and lost their minds, making out and shagged. This disturbed Draco because he knew Sirius is gay as his mother told him about the man when they were younger. He really sounds like a great guy, Sirius. Draco wishes he could have met him, but he's been locked up in Azkaban since before last year.

"It's so good to see you, Draco!" Ivy said sweetly, tightening her arms around her cousin in a bone-crushing hug.

"It's so virtuous to see you too, Ivy," Draco said, letting go of the hug even though he knew she needed as many hugs as possible.

"Now, let's head back up to your room. I have something cool to show you!" Ivy said, grabbing ahold of her cousin's hand and running up towards his bedroom.

Draco knew what this meant, she wasn't actually going to show him anything. It's her code to say that she wants to talk about stuff and that she'd also listen to whatever he has to say. He happily agreed and followed her up the stairs, which he had just come down from.

As they arrived at Draco's room, Draco closed the door behind him and gestured Ivy to sit down on his bed. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked, looking at his cousin with concern as he joined her on his bed.

"Oh, nothing much," Ivy said sadly, sighing as she looks down at her bandaged covered wrists. "It's just the usual with mother, you know?"

Draco wrapped his arm around his cousin to give her a side hug. "I know, I'm sorry you have to go through this alone," he said gently. "I wish I could do something about her," he said, sharply. In a softer voice, he asked, "Should we head to bed? It's going to be a big day tomorrow." He let a yawn escape his mouth. "And we can talk more about...stuff...after the Quidditch World Cup".

Ivy yawned on Draco's shoulder, covering her mouth. "Yeah, I guess. I haven't been sleeping much lately, you know... Nightmares and episodes."

Draco nodded understandingly at her. He doesn't get what she's going through but he tried to understand it and to help her as much as he possibly can. "I get that, and would you like me to make you a sleeping potion?"

Ivy shook her head and gave Draco's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "No, I should be fine on my own," she said with a hint of gratefulness. "Thank you, anyway."

Draco looked at his cousin deeply in her dull ocean blue eyes, trying to figure out her emotions. He wishes she would tell him what she's feeling now and then. "Are you sure, though? It wouldn't be a problem."

"No, it's fine, really!" Ivy assured him with a fake smile.

Draco sighed with disappointment, he really does want to help his cousin, especially with her sleeping problems but she just doesn't have the courage to agree. "Alright, if you insist," he said. "I'm going to bed now, if you need anything just ask, alright?"

"Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the dead bite," Ivy said to him with a soft giggle. She loves her muggle bands she listens to with her phone.

"Where in Salazar Slytherin did you come up with that?" Draco asked her as he hopped into bed under the silky sheets. Sometimes his cousin creeps him the hell out.

"It's a muggle song from a band named 'Hollywood Undead'," Ivy said as she was humming one of their songs, 'Bad Moon'. "They make really good songs."

"Ah, okay. Goodnight, Ivy," Draco said with another yawn, crawling under the sheets and turned off the wall lamp.

"Night, Draco," Ivy whispered softly as she walked over to an old castle torchlight, pulled it down, the bookshelf beside her moved to the left, revealing a gothic-looking door behind it. Ivy opened her door and crept inside her Transylvanian vampire styled room filled with 2 red and black velvet chairs, an old antique bookshelf, and a 4-poster double bed with blood-red drapes. Ivy silently got dressed in her gothic cat Pajamas, hopped in bed, and fell asleep as her head touched the pillow.


	3. The Quidditch World Cup

Sooner than later, the Quidditch World Cup has made its way to England. Ron seemed more excited to see Victor Krum than the Bulgarian Quidditch team, besides, it's not like they are actually going to meet anyone famous.

Ron had more Quidditch merch than anybody else in his family. He and Harry supported Bulgaria whereas his siblings Fred, George and Ginny supported Ireland.

Hermione didn't exactly know who she supported in Quidditch. It was all just so confusing, it was like soccer, but in the air with brooms. Much like the muggle sports, so she just wore her Gryffindor scarf.

In the morning before the Quidditch world cup, everyone dug deep through their closets to find either Bulgarian or Ireland Quidditch merch, all ending in flags, hats, scarves, socks, shirts, the list could go on. (Just like my list of Harry Potter merch! XD) After about an hour, everyone had found their chosen Quidditch merch to wear to the Quidditch World Cup.

Mr Weasley gathered everybody up in the dining room. "Alright everyone, time to go," he called, getting everyone out of the burrow with bags filled with food and supplies.

The walk was long and boring, Ron and Harry didn't even know where they were going. Harry kept thinking about what the Quidditch World Cup would be like as he's never actually seen a real match of quidditch, except for himself in the game. He would have felt overwhelmed with excitement, but that excitement turned down, forming a spiral of depression inside of him. He was sad that Sirius could not make it, due to him escaping Azkaban and having to hide away from the ministry. Not only that but now he just didn't feel like going. He really couldn't be bothered to, but he must for Ron and Hermione. He was snapped right out of his thoughts as they had been interrupted by Ron and he put his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie.

"Are we there yet" whined Ron, feeling his legs nearly give up on him. Ron was always the one who would whine and complain about whether they were at the place or not. He kind of reminded Harry of Dudley and how impatient he was at times. (P.S. I don't hate Ron)

Harry guesses more people are like Dudley than he knows. So, Malfoy isn't the only person who reminded him of Dudley. He knows he does kind of have a thing for Draco, because of his handsomeness. He has always wanted to touch his hair; it looks so soft. As well as his sharp cheekbones and oh, how he wants to run his fingers down them. Those sweet thin lips and how he wants to kiss them every morning. He blushed before realizing he was thinking about a certain blonde Slytherin. No! Snap out of it, Harry. You're going too far. However, he was snapped out of his thoughts, yet again, by Mr Weasley.

"Yes, son, were nearly at the portkey," shouted Mr Weasley, who was in front of the other Weasleys and Harry. He was lying as there still was another five and a half miles to travel by foot. He just had to shut his son up somehow.

Harry looked up to where Mr Weasley was. What he didn't know was what a Portkey was. "What's a portkey" He asked, furrowing his brows, and now turning to look up at Ron with a confused expression upon his face. As confused as he could even get actually.

"It's a teleporter," said Ron, huffing and puffing as he tried to walk faster towards his family. It was a struggle to walk so far from home to some other place he didn't know how to get to.

"What Ron's trying to say is that a Portkey is like a Floo but can take more than one person with it," explained Hermione who was trailing behind and reading a book. "They usually look useless to muggles, so they don't accidentally pick it up and get teleported to another side of the world."

Harry wondered how Hermione could speak and read at the same time, but knowing her, it wasn't impossible. "Oh, so it's a teleporter," he replied sardonically with a grin.

"Yes Harry, a teleporter," Hermione said with a hint of ignorance, rolling her eyes in disbelief at her friend. It made Ron chuckle and Harry smile a little. "Geez, don't you read?"

Harry sighed from what Hermione said. Yes, he does read but not a lot. He just can't be bothered to at times. It's either do chores to get his mind off of things or try to read. Feeling a little shitty, he scratched at his cuts he made this morning. The numbing wave that hit him overwhelmed him and he felt almost lighter on his feet.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Amos Diggory, accompanied by his son, Cedric Diggory, came to join the Weasleys. It's like they appeared out of nowhere from thin air. How intriguing.

For the rest of the walk, Mr Diggory and Mr Weasley talked about ministry things whilst Cedric walked towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione to chat about Quidditch and who they think will win.

Harry just listened to their conversation and didn't talk at all. Not unless he was asked a question which he responded with short-answered questions like 'Mhm', 'No', or 'Yes' and he gave them smiles just to make sure they don't start questioning about if he's okay. It's his most hated question. The 'Are you okay' question.

With the continuous chatter and walking, they finally made it to the portkey, which looked exactly like an old boot. Harry thought it was curious as to why wizards would use such a weird thing, but it was still intriguing.

Harry quickly grabbed onto the boot as ordered to by Mr Diggory and in a matter of seconds, it felt like he was riding a roller coaster and it looped, continuously. He landed on the ground with a thud, Hermione, and Ron after him. He looked up to see Mr Weasley, Mr Diggory and Cedric just casually walking through the air, down to the ground like they use Portkeys every day.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up and dusted themselves off and that's when they saw miles and miles of tents across this massive piece of land, alongside with a giant stadium looking thing. They made their way down to the many miles of tents, Mr Weasley stopping to talk to some man, probably about where to put up the tent. After some conversations with the man, the Diggory's waved goodbye to the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry to go find a place to set up their own tent. 

They passed a bunch of teenagers both guys and girls. Harry thought he didn't know who they were, but he had a feeling that they must have gone to Hogwarts. He tried smiling at the teenagers, especially the guys, but all he could do was hide as his sudden social anxiety increased. He didn't pay attention to the girls although he didn't get why these teenage girls were looking at him, twirling their hair in their fingers, giggling and smiling as they walked past. He thought that maybe he had something on his face which embarrassed him, and he hit himself under the hood of his hoodie.

Once Mr Weasley was able to put up the tent, Harry watched everyone quickly managed to squeeze in. Harry was left speechless, looking at the tiny tent, only able to fit one person inside.

"C'mon, Harry. In you come," said Mr Weasley at once and gesturing Harry to come inside the tent after he had squeezed through the tent himself. Harry flinched because of a flashback back at 4 Privet Drive.

Flashback

It was an early spring afternoon, Harry and Dudley were 6 years old. Harry was just cleaning a wall because earlier in the day Dudley came running in with dirt in his hands from playing outside. Harry didn't understand why he was the one who had to clean up after his cousin, but he guessed it was his fault because he didn't stop Dudley from entering the house covered in dirt.

Earlier that day

Harry had just finished dishing up breakfast, he was cleaning the dishes when a loud scream was heard from the backyard. Harry ignored it and kept washing the dishes when suddenly Dudley came running into the kitchen. Dudley was spreading mud all over the walls and floor with his hands and he smeared mud on the walls with his back like a bear would do when scratching against a tree. Harry stared at his muddy dirty cousin in amusement, he had never seen his cousin with one spec of dirt on him ever.

Dudley smiled wickedly at Harry and shouted, "DADDY! MOMMY!"

Vernon rushed into the kitchen from the living room. As soon as he saw his dirty son, he looked over his shoulder at Harry with the angriest glare he could muster. "What happened! Who made my Dudley dirty!"

Petunia came running into the room, she laid her eyes on her Dudley with shock and Worry. "My Dudley-kins! Oh, my poor sweet baby boy!" she cried while rushing over but didn't touch him.

Dudley pointed a large fat finger at Harry, speaking to his parents with a little bit of fear in his voice, "It was him, daddy and mommy! He pushed me in the dirt when I was playing with my firetruck and hosed me, making me all muddy."

Harry's jaw dropped from the big lie that Dudley told his parents. "I did no such thing!"

Vernon pointed his own chubby shaking finger at Harry. "You, boy! Shut your mouth!" he yelled angrily. He then looked at his son with sympathy. "Continue Dudley."

"He then dragged me inside, I tried grabbing hold of anything to get loose from his grip, that's why there is mud on the walls," Dudley said, trying to act like he was crying. Unfortunately, he was a little good at acting. "He then shoved me against the wall and told me to die."

Petunia put her hand against her heart. "Oh, my Dudley-kins."

Vernon grabbed hold of Harry by his hair and walked him to his closet under the staircase. "Get in!" he yelled viciously ad like always spit flew out of his mouth. "C'mon, don't waste my time boy! In you go, don't want me to get my cane now do you?!"

Harry shook his head swiftly, looked over to see a mischief smiling Dudley and got into his cupboard, doing what he was told. He backed himself up against the wall but didn't see Uncle Vernon at all, it was rare to see him not lock the cupboard door after Harry did something bad. Then it hit Harry, he knew what was coming next. He started to shake and felt tears burn in his eyes, he hugged his legs with his arms and sat there in silence. In a matter of seconds, Uncle Vernon was back at the cupboard door with a belt in his hands. The next thing Harry felt was the raw belt slap him across the arm. Harry yelled in pain, feeling another whip of the belt on the same arm. He turned to his side and held his throbbing arm with his other hand to the wall and hid it from Uncle Vernon. He felt another whip of the belt but on his back, and another and another until Uncle Vernon smiled with pleasure and locked the cupboard with a sobbing Harry inside.

End of Flashback

Harry felt a tear run down his face but quickly wiped it away with his sleeve. With the depression slowly making him feel worse than he had been already, he walked inside the tent with his anxiety as high as the roof. He stopped as he made his way to the entrance of what looked like the size of a muggle flat.

Harry sighed softly, "I love magic." He stared in wonder at how magic can transform something to look different on the inside. That's wizarding magic for you.

"Ron, get out of the kitchen!" Mr Weasley retorted at his youngest son. Ron hesitated when reaching for the fridge and quickly rushed off towards where his bedroom would be. "Get your feet off the table, boys."

"Feet off the table!" Fred and George repeated back and did as their father said. They put their feet back on the table as their dad looked the other way.

Cheeky Bugga's, Harry thought as he snorted at the two twins who winked back at him as he stared at them. It made a familiar heating feeling spread from his neck and up to his face.

*****

Harry decides to go for a walk once everyone was settled into the tent. He didn't really need to stay there in the tent when everyone was talking about Quidditch. He didn't feel like talking right now. He just needed to get away. All he was here for was the World Cup which would be happening in a few hours.

He just walked the miles of tents and looking at all the odd-looking tents he walks by. There were small ones, and very large ones. He pondered if Malfoy lived in one of those big tents. They were particularly large tents that looked like they would cost a fortune.

"Harry?"

Harry, surprised a little that someone could notice him with a hoodie over his head, turned to see who it was. He could never mistake his dormmates Dean and Seamus but why were they holding hands and sitting very close to each other on the camping chairs...? "Oh, Hello Seamus and Dean." He then noticed the green and grey muggle tent behind them that could hold at least seven people in it. But because it was magically developed it probably had everything a house had as well as a few bedrooms.

Seamus and Dean both let go of each other's hands, finding it weird how they were found out this way by their dormmate. But they still sat close to each other. "Hi..." Seamus started, not knowing how to start this conversation. "How are ye, Harry?" His Irish accent was as strong as it always was like he just never left Ireland at all.

"I'm fine," Harry told them and forced a smile. Merlin, lying is getting easier now. Technically, this kind of lying was easy to get away with anyway. "Just going for a walk before the big night. How about you two?"

"We're spectacular," said Dean, beaming as the sunlight hit Seamus' face and it just made him stare lovingly at him. Harry just didn't know what was going on here and why Dean was looking at Seamus like... that. In a loving couple kind of way.

"Who do you think will win?" Harry asked them just to start a conversation up. It was great seeing his dormmates after a while and he did want to know who was supporting who at the World Cup.

"Why Ireland of course," Seamus stated quite proudly and there was a gleam in his blue eyes that Harry could see. "It's the best team in the world and not because I come from there."

"I too believe Ireland will win," said Dean and he grins in a way that conveys secret knowledge. It intrigued Harry. What did Dean know that he didn't? "Oh, and Harry... You won't tell anyone will you?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. He was confused. What did Dean mean about telling people? What was there to tell? "Um... I don't know what you're talking about, Dean. What and who will I tell and what about?"

"Oh my god," said Seamus in disbelief. He rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. How could Harry not know, and does he understand what he saw? He was practically holding hands with Dean a few minutes ago. "Ye're so oblivious, Harry."

Dean gave a booming laugh at his oblivious dormmate. "Merlin, Harry. Never mind what I said." Harry frowned a little as he didn't understand what was so funny. Was he being teased in some way he's never heard of?

"Okay," Harry said. Right now, he just wanted to get away. It was nice talking to Seamus and Dean, but he feels as if he needs a longer walk. To reduce some stress and anxiety. "It was good seeing you again, but I have to get back... Bye." He didn't even wait for their reply as he walked away, with a frown.

He told them that he was to go back to the Weasley tent but instead, he was going further away from it. They would be thinking that he was going back to safety, to warmth, and food but no. He honestly doesn't care about what happens to himself. If he gets kidnapped so be it. If he gets killed? So be it. In fact, it would be better if he were dead. No extra mouth to feed, no extra person to waste their space.

"Hello!"

Harry rolled his eyes, annoyed that he can't have a peaceful walk and looked at the person. It was actually a girl with black hair and blue eyes sitting on an elegant black armchair in front of a large dark grey and white round tent. She had a grey fluffy blanket over half of her body and a firepit in front of her. What he could see that she was wearing were black jeans and a grey long-sleeved top. "Hi..."

The girl smiled at him, then she immediately saw the scar on his forehead and giggled, knowing who it was and how much her cousin loves this boy. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" A stupid question. She knows that but she just had to ask to be polite.

"Yes, I am," said Harry, nodding his head a little uneasily. What did this girl want? A picture? A fucking strand of hair? Like the hell no. "I'm not handing out autographs if that's what you're thinking. I'm just out on a stroll."

The girl frowned a little, acknowledging his rude remark. "I wasn't actually wanting an autograph thank you very much," she told him in a firm tone. "I'm not really a fan of yours either. I'm just a girl who's bored and wanting something to do. Sadly, the internet and reception don't work out here either. Not that you would know what the internet is."

"Wait... you're a muggle?" Harry asked her, feeling intrigued already. "And I do know about the internet." He thought that muggles couldn't see through the wards the wizarding society placed around this plot of land.

The girl shook her head slowly but kept an eye on Harry, wondering how he would have grown up if he knows about the internet. From the rumours she's heard, Harry apparently lives like a royal in some palace or something. "You know what the internet is?"

Harry nodded at her. It was incredible to hear another magical folk knows of the muggle internet. He hasn't heard Hermione talking about it at all either. "Not that it matters but what wizarding blood type are you?"

"Pureblood," said the girl simply. She smiled at the disbelieving look on Harry's face. "I'm Ivy by the way. Ivy Black. If you're wondering how I know of the internet being as I'm a pureblooded witch, my mother actually owns a few muggle fashion and technology stores." She pulled out her phone from underneath the grey blanket that covered her waist and down. "I've got a phone too. Samsung has the best brand of phones. With Apples, you can get locked out of your phone easily. Do you have a phone?"

Harry was surprised that this Pureblood witch knows about all this. He does believe that Samsung phones are better than Apples even if he doesn't have one. Dudley has a Samsung 7 which has the worst ringtones that could wake anyone up from miles away. "No, I don't have a phone," he finally said. "And it's cool that your mother owns muggle stores."

Ivy shrugged when talking about her mother who thankfully didn't join her. Then she grinned and leaned forward in her seat. "So, what's your relationship-"

"Ivy would you like any-"

Harry stared in shock at the blonde-haired Slytherin that just walked out of the tent behind Ivy, and the pace of his beating heart started quickening in his chest as well as those stupid butterflies fluttering about inside him. Those silver eyes stared into his green ones, and he had no idea what to do except melting on the inside at the attractiveness he was looking at. He was staring at his crush, Draco Malfoy.

A smirk formed on Draco's lips and he watched Harry swallow uneasily. "Look who we have here." He circled him like a panther hunting its prey until he stopped and stood in front of the green-eyed Gryffindor. "A wild Potter has run loose from the Weasels."

Harry frowned and walked away. He didn't want to have to deal with Malfoy's rudeness and it was obvious Ivy was his girlfriend. The git just wanted him to leave his girlfriend alone, and Harry granted him that gift.

"You scared him off!" Ivy spat at her cousin, pointing a finger at Harry's leaving figure. "You idiot! You could have befriended him then or even better. Asked him the hell out."

"I was nervous, okay!" Draco responded back coldly. Merlin can't his cousin stop being right for once. "You don't know how he makes me feel. My heart... it is like it's about to explode into butterflies and fireworks. And did you see him in that hoodie? He is so darn charming and cute!"

Ivy rolled her eyes at her cousin ranting about his crush and sighed. Teenage boys these days... "No, Draco. He's not charming. You remember my sexuality, don't you?"

"Yes, a lesbian," said Draco distractedly as he watched Harry disappear around a corner. It disappointed him a little as he won't be able to see Harry again today. "I just wish it were easy to speak to Potter as myself. But the Malfoy in me comes out and boom, there goes my chances of even befriending him."

Ivy sighed at her cousin again and watched as he sat down on the other camping chair net to her. "Draco, all you need to do is breathe when you're around Harry." She chuckled at her cousin giving him an odd look, and she could already hear him saying 'I can't just go up to Harry and breathe in his face without looking like an idiot, now can I?'

"And talk to him," she added, smiling. "Just start off by saying hello and from there get into a conversation. Talk about Quidditch or the newest fashion trends in the Wizarding World. I don't know. Previously, when I was with my girlfriends, conversations automatically came up. And all that's inside yourself is you. There is no Malfoy or Draco. There's just Draco. Malfoy is who you choose to act as."

"I'll try to do what you've told me," Draco says to her, not in a promising way but he will try. All that he promises is that he will try doing what she's suggested him to do. "Talking to him, I mean."

"Good," Ivy says at once. She wonders if she could ever be friends with Harry. Not because of his fame, but just for friendship. She had enough to deal with and fame is not on her agenda at all.

Harry was rushing back to the Weasley's tent. All he needed to do was get inside the tent and under the blankets of his bunk bed until it was after sundown when the Quidditch match would begin.

He had passed Hermione who was calmly reading a book about whatever she was reading that must be interesting, and Ron who was versing Fred and George in a round of Wizards chess. They didn't even acknowledge him when entering the tent so now he just feels worthless all over again. If only there was a place where he had enough privacy to cut himself but since there wasn't any space he just laid down on his cot, facing the wall and scratched at his cuts from under his sleeves.

*****

It was after sundown, everyone was making their way down towards the stadium where the Quidditch match would be held, Bulgaria Vs Ireland. Harry just kept to himself, looked down, and walked with Hermione and Ron to the Quidditch Stadium.

Up in the stands, he caught sight of shiny whitish-blonde hair and with his father was down below them too. He noticed that Malfoy was wearing a black suit which he thought he looked damn handsome in. He's absolutely gorgeous with his hair shining in the moonlight like that.

Harry then saw a girl who was standing next to Malfoy with Black hair and blue eyes. It was Ivy Black, the girl he met earlier on in the day. She was wearing a Black beanie, a long-sleeved shirt with an Ouija board on it, black jeans, and gothic platform boots. He thought that style was kind of cool, it was like she came out of a fairy tale as a villain. Harry sighed miserably, thinking that of course, Malfoy would have a girlfriend. He's so bloody hot! Who wouldn't want to date that Slytherin?

It feels like he has just got rejected which really hurts and he fucking hates the feeling. His heart feels like it has broken into smaller pieces and now he feels as if he can't breathe. He did his best to act normal and breath. Its all he could do. Besides, there was plenty of fish in the sea, right? In fact, why did he even think he had a chance with Malfoy? It was highly impossible. Nobody that perfect could have feelings for someone like himself.

Harry admits that Malfoy has started looking quite attractive since the third year. Damn, those charms and perfect smile. When he first met Malfoy, he wanted to be his friend so much, but he didn't want a friend who makes fun of people because of their blood status. He remembered the weird warm fuzzy feeling when staring into those undeniably pretty silver eyes. Now he knew, thanks to books and Hermione, that he has a crush on the boy. But the sad thing was that he won't be able to have Malfoy.

At first, Harry just stared and rested his arms casually on the railings that were stopping him from falling to his death, until the Slytherin caught him staring and gave him a wink. Harry felt his cheeks warm-up and a noticeable reddening tinge formed on his face. He couldn't tell if they were blushing or if someone cast a warming charm somewhere.

-

Draco was watching the Quidditch match and caught sight of Harry Potter staring at him. Have you ever believed in love at first sight? Draco does. He has had a crush on Potter for a while now and he remembers his own cheeks reddening back in the start of his third year when seeing Potter after the holidays. It was a funny feeling, the first time he has ever had nervous butterflies around someone who he knew was...attractive.

Well, of course, he only thought Potter was rather adorable when he first met him in Madam Malkin's robe shop in his first year. Have you seen him at 11? So young and sweet, bright emerald green eyes, a big friendly smile, the same messy fluffy hair but shorter. Although, he doesn't think crushes can happen at the age of 11. But of course, back then he didn't know what that feeling was, so he pushed the warm fuzzy feeling aside and used his Malfoy mask to hide his real feelings. Besides, it's better using the Malfoy Mask than being some fangirl and annoying the heck out of someone to get their attention. Not that he ever fangirls over Potter. Pssht. Not likely.

He felt himself go red in the cheeks as Potter continued to stare at him. He didn't know what to do so he just winked at him. Could Potter actually...? No, he can't like him back. Besides, who'd like a Malfoy? He watched as Potter's cheeks had an attractive red tinge to it which made Draco smirk and feel his own cheeks redden some more.

Ivy then nudged him in the ribs, seeing that he was staring at a certain someone. "Quit your staring and just ask him out already!" she said in a serious tone whilst crossing her arms.

Draco remembered all the times he flirted with Potter but failed as the Gryffindor thought they were insults. "Trust me, I've been trying to make sure he sees the signs that I'm into him," he replied with a wry smile and sighed at the thought of ever getting Potter's attention. "It hasn't worked at all."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him, knowing he needs to up his game when speaking to Harry. "Draco, you're clearly not trying hard enough! You need to up your game and actually ask him out sometime or I'll get Theodore to do it for you," she said with a mischievous smile and a poke to Draco's arm with a finger.

Draco thought about Potter and Nott getting together. The thought made him feel sick to his stomach. "Alright, fine." He rolled his eyes at her. "I'll ask him when it feels right," he told her, not knowing when he'll do that since he doesn't really have much bravery. Gryffindor bravery he should say.

"Good! You've been crushing on Harry for years now," Ivy said while hugging herself to keep warm from this afternoon breeze. It sure was a breezy evening. "One of you has to grow up and do it."

Draco smiled to himself at the thought of actually dating Potter. Just the thought of being with him all the time, hugging, snogging, and going on dates with him always made his stomach flip but in a good way. "Yeah, well. That will happen when it feels right."

Ivy held out her left pinky finger to him, smiling like an idiot. "Do you pinky promise."

Draco rolled his eyes at his cousin again, linked pinky fingers with her and promised her the muggle way. "Yes, I promise I'll ask Potter out - when it feels right."

"Good," Ivy nodded sternly at him. She'll make sure he keeps her promise. "And it's Harry to you. Oh, why don't you actually try to befriend Harry sometime?" she suggested to him. "It would be so much easier being friends with him and then you can ask him out when the time feels right."

"Yes, Ivy," Draco said with a sigh. He has no idea how he would even do this. How will he get Pott- Harry in a room alone and talk to him without Weasel and Granger being there with him? He knows a plan will come to action soon. "I promise to befriend Harry."

"Now, enough talk about Harry and watch the game," Ivy ordered like a mother would do and sometimes Draco feels like Ivy's another mother of his. She can get a little scary too. "I've been waiting for years to actually get out of my house and do something fun."

Draco felt sorry for Ivy. She had an abusive mean mother that doesn't care one bit for her. He would swap places with her anytime, just so she can have a normal life. Well, as much as normal can get.

-

The round of the Quidditch match was quite long. Just seeing the Bulgarians and Ireland chase each other around the stadium. Of course, Harry knew better than to think Quidditch was like a round of chasey. He kept getting distracted by Malfoy. He always wondered if he was up to something evil with his father. He missed a lot of what's been happening in the round because of Malfoy, but he didn't mind because he felt quite bored. Geez. What happened to him? He usually would love watching Quidditch but now he just feels as if it's work.

It was exciting at first but then turned boring as the round kept on going on, and on. Harry felt his thoughts come back to them, pushing away the boredom and replacing it with the weight of his depression that felt like he was sinking. His suicide attempt came back into his mind and he frowned. Merlin... Would it even have been bad if he managed to die? He's not really enjoying this day at all. He doesn't enjoy any kind of day at all actually. He just feels worthless. He pondered how far down to the ground the stadium goes to...

Hermione looked over to a sad-looking Harry and nudged him in the shoulder with her elbow, looking at him with a worried expression. Harry knew she was non-verbally asking if he was alright, so he just nodded, faked a smile, and turned away from her so she wouldn't see the tears wanting to escape his eyes.

It wasn't until Viktor Krum caught the snitch that Harry felt relieved. He was tired and really wanted to try and get a good night sleep. Luckily, after that long, boring match, they showed the scores and apparently the Irish won, even though Krum caught the snitch. Finally, everyone started to leave their seats to go back to their tents for the night.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a moment?" Cedric Diggory, the 6th year Hufflepuff, stood at the bottom of the steps outside the stadium, looking up at Harry.

Harry sighs to himself. Where has his alone time gone to and his ability to go inside and get under the sheets of his bed in the tent? He didn't want to disappoint Cedric in any way. So, he glanced around to see if Ron and Hermione were around and he couldn't see them anywhere, so he agreed. "Sure, I guess." But he couldn't stop himself from admiring the Hufflepuff's complexion under the moonlight.

Cedric smiled as he caught Harry staring at him and he led Harry down towards the closest set of trees, nearest to the stadium. "So, uh..." He paused, looking towards a tree. "Let's sit under this tree."

"Okay," Harry said quietly. He followed Cedric to the tree he mentioned, sitting down beside Cedric. He was a bit confused as to why Cedric wanted to talk to him on this chilly night, as well as why he wanted to sit under a tree. There are plenty of other places they could have sat down at.

Cedric sighed and thought for a moment how to say and piece things together. "I've noticed you staring at Draco Malfoy most of the time during the Quidditch match, as well as in school for the past year or two," he looked at Harry knowingly, waiting for a response.

"I-... Uh-... erm...," Harry stuttered with a familiar blush rising up his neck, and to his face. He was staring at a patch of grass by his shoes as he didn't know how to answer this.

Cedric saw that Harry looked quite uncomfortable, talking about Draco like this. "Is there anything in particular that you want to talk to me about, Harry?" he asked with his calm tone and a reassuring smile.

Harry grabbed small pieces of grass and slowly ripped them apart, anxious to how Cedric would take him coming out. He had already come out to Sirius and Hermione; how bad could it be?

Cedric started speaking, breaking the silence between the two. "I started noticing I was gay right around 4th year. I noticed I was staring at guys instead of girls. At first, I thought it was a phrase." Cedric smiled down at the ground, then looked at the young boy named Harry beside him. "These types of phrases last a lifetime."

Silence filled the space between them, yet again. In the distance, Harry could hear the many shouts and cheers coming from the miles of tents. "Really?" he asked in disbelief, looking at Cedric for a nod of hope. Well, he kind of knew it was okay to like guys because of the talk Sirius and Hermione gave him but he just wanted to hear it again. "So, is it normal to like... guys?" he asked, staring up at the tree and seeing a squirrel run into its nest from the high treetops.

Cedric nodded and smiled at Harry, seeing the same look in Harry's eyes that he felt back when he was thinking about his own sexuality. "Draco is quite good looking, to be honest, I've got to admit." Cedric elbowed Harry playfully. "Even though he can be really mean sometimes, but everyone has a soft side of them. Nobody can just be good or bad, they have both. Ying and Yang. There is no good without evil, and there is no evil without good. And it's what we act on that make us who we are."

Harry nodded and faked a smile in relief. "But what would Hermione and Ron think about my sexuality?" He asked, looking in Cedric's brown eyes. He's already told Hermione about it. Well, it was Hermione who found out by herself. It's just Ron he needs to tell.

Cedric gave Harry a stern but comforting look. "Harry, you need to talk to them about your sexuality. If they don't accept you, then they're not real friends. Real friends will accept you for who you are," he said, looking deep into Harry's eyes with his positive smile.

Thanks, Cedric," Harry said, trying to rush out of the conversation because he was feeling quite tired. He needed his sleep even if he hasn't had a decent amount of sleep for months. Cedric smiled at Harry. "For the talk, I mean."

Cedric looked at Harry worriedly as he could see a sudden emptiness in those green eyes but shook it off for now. "It's no problem, Harry. Now, C'mon, you look tired," he said as he stood up from the ground and dusted himself off. "We may as well head back to our tents as I'm sure Ron and Hermione are worried sick."

Harry nodded and stood up also. He gave Cedric a little wave goodbye as he walked back to the Weasley's tent. He knew Ron was probably sleeping already, Hermione was probably reading a book up at this hour. He knew they wouldn't be worried about him, only if he starts acting not like himself which he'll do his best not to.

When Harry knew he was at least half-way to the Weasley's tent, he caught sight of two blokes sitting by a bonfire. They were kissing. He forced a smile, finding it really cute. Oh, how he wished he had someone to do that with. One of the blokes had dark skin with black hair, and the other had light skin with sandy blonde hair. Strangely, they looked familiar to Harry. He shrugged at them and continued to the Weasley's tent.

Harry pulled back the tent flap and went inside. He managed to see every Weasley sound asleep, except... Dang it! He wasn't alone.

"Well, well, well, where have you been?" asked Fred who sat up from his cot with his arms crossed over his chest. He noticed Harry went off with Cedric a while back but having a thirty-minute conversation? It's a pretty long time.

Harry stood there and stared at the ground, not knowing how to reply. It should be easy. He only had a conversation to Cedric about... Well, about boys. "Just been on a walk." He could tell Fred didn't believe his lie. Merlin, he really needs to come up with easy lies.

"Okay then," Fred said in disbelief, rolling his eyes at Harry's bad lying skills. Someone, please teach this boy how to lie. Maybe he and George can give a few tips to Harry-kins.

Harry was going to walk towards his cot when Fred interrupted him. "Ah, ah, ah! Wait a minute," Fred said with a strong tone of voice, waving his finger in disapproval at him.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned around to face Fred, staring into his brown eyes with defeat. Honestly, can't he just have some alone time for once? He actually misses the Dursley household at times because he got his alone time, and he didn't have to do or say anything except clean the house and do chores. The only things he doesn't miss, even if he knows he deserves them, are the punishments he gets.

"I saw you and Cedric out near a tree," Fred admitted to him and smiled curiously. He actually brought Harry out of his dark thoughts for a little while. "Seems like you were having quite the conversation if I do say so myself. Are you guys...?"

"No, we're not dating," Harry told him, shaking his head but the thought did sound nice. He was a damn handsome fellow. "Cedric and I were talking about things..." He had a feeling as if Fred were going to bombard himself with questions. He didn't mind actually. Talking about boys was sort of fun. He then had a million gay thoughts rush in his head, but they were innocent. Nothing too absurd. Just kissing and dating...

"What kind of things," Fred asked, intrigued and he winked at Harry. The younger Gryffindor really wished he had gotten here earlier so he didn't have to have this conversation. But dang, Fred and his charms. Boys are just so handsome that it hurts!

"Um..." Harry didn't know what to start off with. The crush part or the liking boys' part. There was just so much to say!

"What were you talking about if you don't mind me asking?" Fred then asked with a softer tone and giving Harry a half-smile just to let him know that he'll be there to support him if this conversation was going to get a little personal.

"Sexuality," Harry said softly and wondering if Fred would accept him for liking guys. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his hoodie and right then, he felt it. His blade. He's used to having his blade with him, but he doesn't think he will need it tonight since there's just so many people around.

"Knew it!" replied Fred but with a satisfied smile on his face and running his hands through his hair, flipping it back. Harry watched as Fred's hair flopped back into place. He had an urge to feel it, to feel another guy's hair but he didn't try to.

"I think... but I know I'm gay," Harry whispered quickly to Fred in case someone else was hearing the conversation. Then the thought of Justin came back to him. Those soft lips kissing his cheek, giving him a warm tingly feeling inside of himself. Merlin... Would all guys, if they kissed him, give him that feeling?

"Ah, I see." Silence had crowded the space among Harry and Fred for a moment. "Did you want to test that theory then, Harry?" Fred then asked with a challenging smile, lightly licking his lips.

Harry looked into Fred's brown eyes once again, not knowing how to reply. He was a little confused. How can you test this kind of theory? "Uh, what do you mean."

Fred sighed knowingly and shook his head. How could Harry not know what he means? This boy's just so oblivious at times. "Harry, how would you test the theory of you thinking that you're gay?"

Harry thought for a minute before the realization hit him. His cheeks were tinged with a shade of red and so was his neck. "Oh, do you mean..." He felt a little awkward. He's never had his first kiss before. "You and me... Kiss?"

Fred nodded and Harry watched as Fred's cheeks reddened, which made him chuckle a little. "Oh, um... I've never thought about that," he told the older Weasley twin with a quick side-smile. "I do think I'm gay. I notice myself looking at guys in Quidditch weekly more than I should, and Muggle magazines. But I just want to have my first kiss with someone that I like." The thought of kissing Fred just crossed his mind. He knew Fred was what? Two years older than himself but dang... those handsome looks.

"But you do like me, don't you?" Fred raised an eyebrow as he asked the question but in a teasing manner. Harry actually laughed at what he said. It has been a while since he last laughed. Probably around four months.

"Of course, I like you," Harry told him. He just doesn't understand why anyone wouldn't like Fred, or George, or the Weasley family in general. They're the nicest family he has ever met. Well, the only family he has met. "Just, not in that way."

Fred nodded, understanding what he means, and he accepted that. "I know, Harry." He sighed at the thought of ever stealing the first kiss from someone. "Shame, I could have stolen your first kiss." He added a mischievous smile to his expression just to make Harry laugh again and it worked.

Harry rolled his eyes at Fred. He wants to know what it's like, though. To kiss a guy. He just wants to be ready for the real thing. "Fine, just make it quick," he says and takes a slow step forward. "I kind of want to know how to kiss someone since I've never done it before."

Fred smiled at the younger boy, but his eyes trailed down to Harry's lips. He doesn't care about the whole 'Golden boy' and 'Chosen one' title that Harry has. He's just 'Harry' to him. "Okay. Harry, truth or dare?"

Of course, Fred had to make this more awkward for Harry. Fine, if this is the game that will be played, so be it. "Truth." He hasn't played this game at all if he's being honest.

Fred smiled mischievously at Harry. He needs to know a few things first before it gets a little exciting. Knowledge comes first before anything else. "Do you have a crush on anyone?"

Harry sighed. The most popular question known to mankind. Nobody can escape it. "Yes," he nodded, smiling slightly at the memory of seeing Malfoy today. He wondered what Fred's reaction would be if he told him who he likes. Amused, disgusted, and shocked, flashed in his mind in bold letters.

Fred looked up at Harry in surprise. He knew there must have been someone little Harry-kins has been eyeing. He wants to know who it is. Are they older? Younger? Taller? Smaller? But he sees Harry as a...bottom. He could be wrong though. "Oh, who is it?"

Harry shook his head, knowing this was an only one-way question game. You can't ask two questions at once in this game. Not that he knows of anyway. "One question at a time. Fred, Truth or Dare."

Fred sighed with defeat and replied with, "Truth." Easy peasy. But he wants to know who Harry's crush is. It's a must-know.

"What was the funniest prank you and George had ever done?" Harry had to ask as he was eager to hear a response from the prankster. Might as well have a laugh or two before it gets... weird.

"We lit Filch's office up in blue flames one time," Fred said, and he wiped back a tear of joy from the memory. "We laughed our butts off when he came out with sky blue hair which was never our intention. It just happened." He sighed happily and looked back at Harry, smirking. "Truth or Dare."

"Dare." Harry hoped that whatever dare Fred would give him, it wouldn't be gross or totally idiotic like running around outside in only his boxers and shouting something dumb. Merlin, he knows of the dare's muggles do.

Fred gave Harry a knowing look as he said, "I dare you to kiss the prettiest person in this room."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked around the room. He thought about kissing George since he is already asleep and is Fred's twin but didn't want to wake him up. He gestured Fred to come over to him with a wriggle of his finger. Might as well get it over and done with.

"Oh Harry," Fred said sweetly with a hand over his heart. "I'm flattered!" He fluttered his ginger eyelashes at Harry and took the last step closer to him.

"Oh, shut up!" Harry responded quietly. When Fred was face-to-face with him, the twin rose Harry's chin up with a finger as he was like a foot taller than him. Harry froze and didn't exactly know what to do, even if it was obvious.

Fred rolled his eyes at the oblivious boy and was the one who leaned in, not breaking eye contact until his lips and Harry's were connected. He never, in his wildest dreams, had ever thought about snogging Harry Potter. It may have been a tiny dream he had a while ago, but it was just a dream - that had just come true. It felt weird kissing Harry since he is like a brother to him. He decided to make this the best first kiss Harry had ever had, so he wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and guided Harry in the kiss.

After gathering everything that had just happened, Harry kissed Fred back and lifted his hand up to Fred's cheek, feeling his long red hairbrush against his fingertips. This was a funny feeling, kissing another boy but it was a pleasant feeling. In fact, Fred was a good kisser. The feeling of Fred's soft lips on his own felt nice, even if he wasn't attracted to him in a lovey-dovey kind of way. Not like he was with... Draco. Then, Harry felt kind of guilty for kissing Fred, even though he and Draco weren't together. Harry was about to wrap his arms around Fred's lithe body, but Fred opened the gap between them, and they were panting heavily.

Fred took a step back and looked Harry straight in his eyes, okay, maybe not straight, but directly in the eyes. "Whoa!" Fred replied, chuckling in amusement.

Harry looked back at Fred, seeing his rosy swollen lips that he had just kissed. Goodness... What a... kiss. " You just stole my first kiss; you should be feeling lucky."

"You are welcome and wow that was hot," Fred answered truthfully with a soft smile. He rose his arm up and pressed the back of his hand against his mouth.

Harry made his lips form a straight line, and he smiled. That was definitely something and he quite enjoyed it. "Well, now I can say that I'm definitely gay." He knew it already, but he just wanted to say it.

"I'll say!" came the voice of an amused twin brother with a smirk on his lips.

Fred and Harry looked over at the awoken Weasley twin brother, who sat on his cot looking at Harry and Fred in shock.

"Hello Georgie, my dear twin brother, " Fred said, smiling sheepishly at his twin who looked quite amused. Even pranking his own twin was fun and hilarious. Maybe he should be kissing Harry more often in front of his family as just a funny prank.

"Hello Freddie, my dearest twin who just so happened to kiss Harry our dearest non-blood brother," George said, wiggling his eyebrows at them. "We have so much to talk about, Fred." He squinted his eyes, which had a twinkle of mischief in them. "Firstly, when did this happen? How did this happen? Why did this happen? Lastly, why haven't you told me you and Harry were..."

"No. We're not dating, and it wasn't what it looked like," Harry quickly said to him, hoping George could see the earnest in his eyes. "Well it was, but it was just a dare."

George raised an eyebrow in interest at the younger boy. "Oh, so a dare in the night involving snogging my twin." His face suddenly looked a little rosier. "Really, Harry?"

"Um, yeah?" Harry replied awkwardly with a little shrug. Merlin, this was hard. It shouldn't be hard to talk about though. "However, we were just talking about me."

"What about you, Harry" George asked with fascination, crossing his arms over his chest while looking from Harry to his twin and back to Harry with a wide grin on his face.

"About me being gay," Harry replied slowly and quietly. He still didn't want any eavesdroppers to hear this conversation. What if word got out into the Wizarding World that he was gay? Would he be able to cope with it?

"Riiight," George said with a prolonged 'I' and he gave his twin a playful pinch in the arm, which Fred grunted from since it did hurt. George only gave Harry a playful little nudge as he would rather be gentle with his non-blood brother than hard. "About you being gay for my twin brother?"

"No, no and no. I'm gay for Malfoy," Harry said absentmindedly, not knowing what he said. Oh shit. He was not meant to let that slip. He hesitantly put his hand over his mouth in case something else came out of his mouth unexpectantly that could really be worrying to hear.

Fred and George looked at each other in surprise and then back at Harry. "Nawww, does somebody have the crushies-," started Fred with an inner glow in his eyes.

"-On a certain Blonde haired Slytherin," George finished the sentence for him, giving a bemused smile at Harry.

"So, what do you think? Are you disgusted at me? Disappointed in me for liking a Malfoy, or something?" A million thoughts rushed through Harry's brain, he frowned and looked at the ground. This was not meant to happen at all.

George saw the familiar frown on Harry's face he has seen loads of times but had been too afraid to ask if he was alright. "Now, now, Harry. Don't think like that," he said carefully. "Yes, there are wizards who are homophobic but don't let them get to you. I, for one, want to thank you for telling us this."

"It's not okay to keep feelings bottled up inside, especially if it makes you, you," said Fred in a gentle manner. His expression softened when he saw how dull Harry's eyes look. That was something he and his twin needs to keep an eye on. "No, we are not disgusted at you. We are a little surprised that you have a liking to Draco Malfoy, we all know how much of an insufferable git he is."

"If you guys ever do get together the main thing is as long as he makes you happy, then we're happy," said George, his face upturned and his eyes sparkled from the light of the wall candle. "Besides, why on Earth would you think that we're homophobic when my brother just snogged you in front of me? Oh, by the way, when am I going to get a kiss from you?"

Fred snickered at his jealous brother and tapped him on the shoulder. It was time to go to sleep anyway.

"Right, um... I think one snogging session is enough for tonight," Harry said and rubbed at his elbows as one of his thinking gestures. "By the way, what are you two? Gay or...?"

"We're Pansexual," Fred said in a bubbly voice. But then he hesitated when seeing the confusion written over Harry's face. "It means we like both boys and girls, but for their personality's, not their bodies." Only he and his twin have known about this secret. He's never let anybody else know about their sexuality besides Lee Jordan who's their best friend.

Harry looked up at Fred and George and put on his famous fake smile. "Oh, I didn't know," he said a little slowly, and frowned again. Nobody really tells him gossip anyway. Not unless it is related to Voldemort. "Did you keep this to yourselves?"

"No, only Lee Jordan knows," said George, shaking his head at the question. "I think he's the only one, except you of course." He smiled at Harry, and then he says, "You know, your definitely not bad looking yourself and I'm surprised no guy has asked you out yet."

The blush returned to Harry's face, and he looked to the ground, smiling a little. Nobody's ever told him he looks good before. All he has ever been called as a compliment is freak. It's just depressing. "I don't think many people are-,"

Harry got interrupted by Ron and their conversation which he was sitting up and wiping his eyes from sleep. "Harry, we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow," he told his best mate sleepily, and his eyes were half-open. "Get some sleep."

"Okay, Ron," Harry quietly said in the direction of his best mates' bed. He nodded at Fred and George, telling them he should get some sleep and he saw Ron's head meet the pillow again. "Thanks for the talk, guys."

"It's nothing," Fred said with a little wave of his hand and he began walking towards his cot with George. "Good night, Harry." Fred turned to see Harry walking to his own cot, and he smiled.

"Have a good rest, Harry," George said as he got into his cot and laid back down. He crossed his arms over his chest like a muggle vampire would, and it made Harry silently laugh at him.

"You guys have a good night sleep too, Fred and George," Harry replied, sitting on his cot, and looking at them in the faint darkness of the tent. Merlin, everyone was a heavy sleeper. Then with a yawn, he laid down and looked up above him at the roof of the tent.

Harry could still feel Fred's kiss still lingering on his lips. He turned over in his cot and started thinking about a certain blonde-haired Slytherin and what it'd be like to kiss those fine beautiful pink lips. Even the thought of Justin vanished as he was thinking about the blonde Slytherin. Soon as he felt tired enough, he fell asleep. But sleep wasn't easy for him. He woke up from a nightmare, without the screaming thankfully. The one he's been having for a while. But it was not very clear. All he could see was a graveyard, then an angel statue, a house, a weird thing covered in a blanket, then a green light and then nothing.

His eyes shot open and he sat up, staring around his surroundings. Everything was dark, and it only made Harry more scared. He kept his hand under the blanket and rolled his sleeve up. He scratched hard at his wrist, feeling the scabs rub off and little blobs of his blood slowly appear. This is exactly what he needed as he felt the wave of numbness hit him. He just kept scratching, scratching as hard as he could from under his sleeves. Feeling fulfilled, he crawled back under the sheets and just lay there in silence waiting until the next day came.

**************************************************

Wow... Harry just had his first kiss with a Weasley.

Another Weasley...

I thought that having that kind of thing would spice up the chapter, don't know if it did or not.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

[]

When Fred and George Weasley bewitched snowballs to hit Professor Quirrell's turban, they were unwittingly hitting Voldemort in the face. Let's go throw snowballs at Quirrell! Does anyone want to join me?


	4. Back To Hogwarts

Harry saw Cedric on the train to Hogwarts, he was talking to some black-haired guy. He didn't know who he was but recognized him to be a 6th year Ravenclaw. Noticing they were holding hands; he couldn't help but blush. He started to wonder what it would like to have someone you like to hold your hand, cuddle up to you when it's cold, hug you and kiss you. Oh, how he wants to be loved by a guy just like Cedric and that guy.

Ron startled Harry as he entered the compartment and sat beside him, making Harry jump out of his thoughts. Ron looked towards where Cedric and the boy was, "Bloody hell!" He was looking at the older boys with a shocked expression. "Is that Cedric, holding hands with another bloke?"

Hermione was petting Crookshanks in her lap as she read one of her schoolbooks: 'Standard Book of Spells Grade 4'.

"Yes, Ron," Harry said slowly as he just couldn't be bothered to give him an explanation of what they're seeing. All he knows is that it's called love. He couldn't tell Ron about his sexuality just yet as well, not until he was ready. He just didn't want to feel worse about himself. This was probably why Fred and George never let their sexuality be known.

He stopped Ron from saying anything more about Cedric and homosexuality in case he said something that would stop himself from telling Ron about his own sexuality and would think critically on himself. He's lost trust in a lot of people now. Even his own best friends. Trust is just a thing of the past.

Harry looked back up at the two older males. As if Cedric knew Harry had been staring, he gestured Harry to come over. At least it is nice to know that people want to talk to him. Well, Cedric wants to talk to him.

"Be right back..." Harry whispered silently to Ron. He got up and left their compartment, walked over to the two 6th year students seated in their seats on the train.

Cedric smiled as Harry walked up to them. "Hello, Harry. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Joshua. Joshua this is Harry."

Joshua glanced up at Harry's forehead and smiled, holding out his hand for Harry to shake. He didn't care about Harry's title. A title is a title and means nothing after all. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."

"Likewise," Harry said with his famous fake smile, shaking hands with the boy. All he could think these two blokes would want to hear was about the Ministry, so he informed them of the trouble Mr Weasley had to help out with. "Mr Weasley's having some trouble at the ministry so he had to leave early, if you're wondering."

"Oh," Cedric said, furrowing his eyebrows. Sometimes the Ministry concerned him with everything that goes on there. "I hope he'll fix whatever happened there."

Joshua nodded in agreement with him. The Ministry is a tough place full of secrets and lies. "Speaking of the ministry, I was thinking of becoming an Auror after I graduate."

Cedric looked at Josh with an affectionate smile, and his eyes gleamed. "That's a wonderful idea, Josh. I'm sure you'll be an amazing Auror!"

Harry gave the boys in front of him the biggest fake smile he could make. He didn't want to stay here for long as these two obviously want their alone time. He wished he had someone to spend hours and hours of alone time with. Hopefully, his forced smile was enough to make them not worry about him because why would they worry? He's just a burden to this Earth. "Perhaps I'll see you out in the field someday, Joshua. I was thinking of becoming an Auror too." The dream to become an Auror was fading away. He just doesn't see himself as an older man with a job. He doesn't see himself at all.

Joshua kissed Cedric on the cheek for the compliment and looked back to Harry. "Why, that's splendid!" He smiled at the younger boy. "I'll be looking forwards to seeing you ready for the test after your graduation."

"Well, it was great meeting you, except I have to head back to my friends," Harry replied quickly. He doesn't actually want to go back to the compartment with Hermione and Ron as he would rather be alone in a compartment so he can just... be alone and wallow in self-pity. Other than that, amazing but depressing thought, he was feeling a little awkward meeting someone new and the affectionate kisses the two boys were giving each other just made him feel lost and unloved.

"Alright, enjoy the trip back to Hogwarts!" Joshua said with a quick smile, and Harry forced a smile and made his way back to the compartment Hermione and Ron were in. He pondered if his best friends would even know he was gone if he decided to find another compartment by himself.

"Did you talk to Cedric? Who was the guy he was with?" Ron asked whilst throwing his dress robe over Pigewideon's cage. Harry thought that Ron had a rag over Pig's cage, which looked quite old.

"Yup!" Harry just didn't sound too enthusiastic about this conversation. What if Ron wouldn't accept him for liking guys? "That's his boyfriend, Joshua. Nice guy," he told them earnestly. "Do you have a problem with people liking the same gender?" He asked softly, raising an eyebrow while feeling a little sick in the gut from lunch even though he only ate half a sandwich.

"No, not really," said Ron, shaking his head. "I find it unnatu-"

"Shhh!" Hermione shushed Ron from further explaining. "Listen!"

A slow familiar voice came from the compartment next to theirs. "My father almost sent me to Durmstrang. The headmaster of the place is-."

Harry felt his heart begin to hammer against his chest and butterflies in his stomach. He never knew Malfoy was right beside his compartment. What if Malfoy finds out that he's into guys? Surely the word will spread around Hogwarts in a matter of seconds and ruin Harry's life even more than it already is.

"Malfoy!" Ron said silently.

Hermione grabbed a hold of Crookshanks and gently lifted her up from her lap. She closed the compartment door silently and sat back down. She didn't want the Slytherin's hearing their conversations. Especially if it had something to do with sexualities. Crookshanks swished her tail at her owner and sat staring out at the window wishing that pesky rat was still around to chase.

Harry couldn't believe that Draco Malfoy sitting in the compartment beside them. The butterflies weren't going away at all. Sometimes he dislikes how the Slytherin has been making him feel. "I didn't know they were sitting next to us," he said silently, biting his lip. He hoped Malfoy and his goons didn't hear the talk they were having.

Ron sighed and stared at his dress robes with disgust. "I wish his father did make him go to Durmstrang so we wouldn't have to put up with him through all these years."

Hermione hit Ron on the shoulder with her book, disliking his attitude. "Ron! He may be a g-... rude, but it doesn't mean you can just say that about someone. You know, you're now sounding exactly like him!"

"Well I'm sorry, but it's true," Ron replied solemnly with a slight smile, making Hermione sigh, roll her eyes and continue reading her book.

Harry sat there in silence watching his two best friends, Hermione reading a book and Ron continuing to look at his dress robes in disgust. He hugged his legs and leaned his head on the wall, wishing he could just go to sleep for a while as his cuts burn on his arm. His scar had also been hurting due to the dreams he's been having, the same dreams over and over again. It was getting to the point where he just wanted to go to sleep forever and not wake up. He'd be asleep at the Dursley's, they probably wouldn't care if he died in his sleep. Just another burden lost to the world.

*****

"Where's the professor who will teach us Defense against the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked, looking up at the professor's table for the new DADA professor as they had just entered the castle for the Welcome back feast.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. Everyone knows that teaching position is supposed to be cursed; guess people are just too scared," he said, watching the table for the feast to pop up so he can dig in.

Ron and Hermione both scanned the professor's tables carefully, still not seeing an unfamiliar face. Harry really couldn't be bothered looking up, the pain in his arms from cutting this morning was numbing him from every emotion. He couldn't think properly or sleep properly at all. What's the point in life if he couldn't sleep or eat? Those two are the most important things about living and that's the opposite of what Harry wanted. All he did was stare absentmindedly at that one spot his eyes travel to. He didn't want to eat at all either. He couldn't. Anything he does eat just comes right back up.

"Ugh! Hurry this up!" Ron moaned from beside Harry. "I could eat a whole cow!"

As soon as the hat finished singing, Professor McGonagall rolled out a scroll of parchment and began reading the names of the first years. After then, the feast began, and everyone dug in. And as the Headmaster told everyone of the events that are to be taken place at Hogwarts and finished speaking after the new DADA professor stormed in, everyone dug in. Everyone except one boy with dark hair and green eyes.

Harry wondered what's wrong with this new professor, and how he'll affect him like every other DADA teacher in the past. Well, there was Lupin, and he was a great professor! He wishes Remus could come back. Harry didn't eat a thing, he believed he doesn't deserve to eat anything that looks so good because that is just how bad his low self-esteem is because of the Dursleys.

Unfortunately, Hermione saw Harry's struggle to eat which she grew immensely worried about. "Harry?" she asked softly. "Are you going to eat anything?"

Harry shook his head and sighed miserably. "Not hungry," he told her. Even the look of food made him sick. He just needed to escape to the dormitory. "I ate a lot for Breakfast and Lunch."

Hermione knew Harry was lying as she didn't see him eat anything for breakfast or even lunch. Except for half a sandwich, of course. She's beginning to really worry and feel concerned for Harry. She just doesn't know what's been happening with him.

After the feast was finished, everyone returned to their dorms for good night sleep, but Harry just lay in his bed and stared at the roof. He couldn't sleep anyway. What's the point? What's the point of life if he can't sleep, or eat, or be happy?

When he knew his dorm mates were asleep, he quickly grabbed his new metal friend from inside the book he kept it in as well as the one from the sock. He made his way down into Moaning Myrtles Bathroom and found an empty 'Eclipse mints' tub in a cupboard and put his little sharp friends in it. Nobody has ever used or touched it ever, nobody probably knows it's there, so he thought that would be a good hiding spot. He put a ward around the tin so nobody can open the tin and find his little friends in the future.

When he finished, he went back down into the dormitory and decided to 'do a Hermione' and read his new textbooks for the year. He thought it would be good to know what he is up against throughout the year.

Harry stayed up late reading, he really hates going to sleep and waking up from the same nightmare over and over again. It drains him emotionally, leaving him feeling tired, depressed, and weak.

It was now morning and Harry was still reading but he changed the books he was reading repeatedly. He didn't want to read the same thing over and over again. What he didn't realize was that someone had been watching him read as they woke up.

Ron was sitting up in his bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Oi, mate," he stared at Harry sleepily, his eyes drooping a little. "I swear, if you read another book you will probably end up like Hermione."

Harry looked over at Ron's bed, not knowing how long he's exactly been up for. He decided to end the topic of reading because that led to questions. Questions he doesn't know how to answer or can't be bothered asking. "How long have you been up?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Harry," Ron replied still in his half-sleep state. Then he yawned, stretching his arms out.

"Sorry, I just want to know what we're going to be doing this year," Harry said as he was finishing off the last chapter of 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4' textbook for the third time. He wished he had actual amusing books to read like Percy Jackson, Quidditch books, The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner. Just something intriguing that will keep him up all night.

"But up since 4:20 in the morning?" Ron's eyes suddenly widened a little like all sleep had been wiped from them and he was staring at his best mate like he was going crazy. "Surely, you're not tired and don't need to re-read all our textbooks for this year."

"I'm just bored, that's all," Harry said as he looked up at Ron, closed 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4' and placed it on the bedside table. How long had Ron been up for? Since 5 am? 4 am? Hopefully not because that's pretty early to be up at. Well, early for Ron. But for Harry, not so much.

"You've been reading for hours, mate," Ron said in a quiet tone as he remembered their other dormmates were sleeping. He was a little worried about his best mate and his new habits. "No offence but I'm just bothered by that."

"I know, and non-taken," Harry said as he sluggishly was getting up from his bed and walking towards the window closest to him and facing the Hogwarts grounds. "But it is a good way to let time fly though."

"But still, I don't think I've ever seen you reading for that long," Ron admitted silently, tilting his head slightly to the side. He hadn't recalled seeing Harry with a book for hours before. "Don't you get bored just reading for hours?"

Harry shrugged whilst looking down at the grounds of Hogwarts from one of the dorm windows. The storm had calmed down a bit since last night, but it was still sprinkling outside. He started to ignore every word that was coming from Ron's mouth as his train of thoughts kept moving through his head.

Harry began to deepen into his thoughts, thinking back to the Dursleys and the abuse. But he didn't believe it was abuse because he believed he deserved the punishments he got.

It really was a good way to let time fly, just focusing on the book and imagining yourself in it. Either making a potion, casting a charm of transfiguration spell or even going on an adventure like in those muggle books. He sighed and started getting ready for the day even if it's 6:00 in the morning. It appeared that Ron had fallen back asleep as he was staring out into the grounds of Hogwarts. He sighed again and made his way down to the common room until it was breakfast.

*****

The classes Harry had for the day were Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and Potions. He saw Malfoy before classes with Crabbe and Goyle in the corridors. Sometimes he just wanted the Slytherin to stroll up to him, pin him to the wall with intertwined hands and kiss him. He noticed that he had been caught staring at Malfoy, by of course, Malfoy. I made him blush and really want to get away so turned on his heel and headed to his first class of the day.

Having to squeeze Bubotuber's for their puss, which was a disgusting way to start off the day even if it was satisfying to do, was interesting to learn about. Especially since the Bubotuber's puss can be used to cure pimples and whatnot according to Madam Pomfrey. Harry remembered seeing the disgusted look on Malfoy's face as he squeezed the worm he had been given. It was hilarious but at the same time adorable. He even caught Malfoy staring at him through most of the lesson which made him blush and turn away. He imagined what it would be like to be close to Malfoy, to be his friend, his best friend or even more. What it would be like to look into those sparkling pools of silver for as long as you want. As the loud bells rang, Harry jumped out of his dreamy thoughts of Malfoy and rushed to Care of Magical Creatures with Ron and Hermione with his bag over his shoulder.

Even though Harry liked Hagrid, he really didn't know what use knowing how to take care of a Blast-Ended-Skrewt would be for him. All the lessons were pretty much the same, Malfoy being a typical git as always, but Harry couldn't help but stare at the blonde Slytherin Wizard throughout the lessons he had with him. He was as attractive as he's always been with his hair looking perfect - perhaps too perfect, silvery eyes filled with the same hateful emotions, the way he walks, talks, lives in general.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry walked directly behind Malfoy and his goons as they walked back up to the castle. Harry watched as Malfoy ushered his goons away from him and walked a different way towards the castle. He couldn't help but know what Malfoy was up to, but then again, he wanted to head back to the castle and be alone until the next class. His curiosity got the best of him as he was already following Draco from behind. "I'll be right back..." he said and followed Malfoy down a hill quickly, not hearing Hermione shout his name and asking where he was going. Harry made sure to keep to the sides so Malfoy wouldn't see him, but it obviously failed.

"Potter!" Malfoy spat, turning around to face his rival with a glare. But as he remembered catching the Gryffindor staring at him earlier, which made his heart flutter with a feeling of hope, he just couldn't place his usual Malfoy Mask over his emotions. Merlin this boy made him go crazy.

"Malfoy!" Harry spat back, watching his rival do an elegant 190-degree spin to face him. Geez, what a prince he was. How can someone just... spin around like that. So elegantly...

"Having fun following me?" Malfoy asked him in a mocking tone, smirking at the slight red attractive tinge to the Gryffindor's cheeks. "Or are you trying to find what I'm apparently up to?"

Harry glared at Malfoy, not knowing if he should whip out his wand for protection. One thing for sure, he had no idea why he was even here. Why did he even choose to follow Malfoy? But he must have come this way for some reason...

Malfoy chuckled and gave Harry a small smile. "I'm only joking, Potter!" He actually sounded kind, and Harry liked seeing this in the Slytherin. Was he actually seeing the nice version of Draco Malfoy? The one who stays hidden unless... in the common room probably. "Although, I'm rather concerned with your obsession with me." He gave him a wink just to be even more of a git. Merlin, he loves messing around with Potter.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Harry told him bitterly. He doesn't know what Malfoy is playing at and he doesn't like it. Although, it's slowly making his blood rush to his cheeks. Especially with that attractive smile and wink the blonde Slytherin gave him. That wink and smile was for him and only him.

Malfoy smiled, loving how Potter's getting all 'defency' like around him. "Look, I'm sorry. I-..." he faltered, trying to come up with the nicest way possible to say what he had to tell the Gryffindor. If only he had Ivy's wise words of helpfulness, then he was sure he'd be able to do this.

"I?" Harry repeated for him, not believing that Malfoy out of all people had apologized to him. He just didn't want to believe this. Was he in some Alternative universe where Malfoy was nice?

"Sorry, had to think before I say this..." Draco bit his lip and Harry still couldn't believe the apology that came out of Malfoy's mouth. It was like he was dreaming. "I'm asking for your hand in a truce, Potter," he said confidently with a high chin, remembering the conversation with Ivy at the Quidditch World Cup and having to do the promise which he still has to find the guts to do.

"I don't ca-..." Harry was about to say but he hesitated, trying to take in what he just heard. "What?" He asked straightforwardly, not believing Malfoy just apologized for the third time and how he would actually want a truce with him.

Malfoy rolled his eyes at the Gryffindor in front of him. Whatever happened to his brains? Did that snowy fluff ball of an owl peck it all out of his scalp? "I'm asking you for a truce, Potter," he told him carefully just to let the message sink in. "You know, a stop to this childish rivalry?"

Harry replayed what Malfoy had said in his head. He has to make sure that this isn't a trick. "What makes you think that I would accept the truce?" he asked him, giving him a sour expression. Though he really does want a truce with Malfoy. He would love to get along with Malfoy just once, or twice, or forever. "Everything you've said and done from the first year to this year. I can't exactly forget everything you've done and move on."

Malfoy stared into those intense beautiful green eyes of Harry Potter. Here comes the explaining, but he had to make up a few bits and pieces. "I was thinking..." He smiled at Potter's impatient look. "Over the holidays I have come to realize that this weird little rivalry between us is just so childish. So, as I said before, I'd like to make a truce with you."

Harry felt his cheeks redden some more as he stared into those Silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. He didn't know that Malfoy had been... thinking of this for so long. "Oh, okay. Sure..." He said with a slow nod. He actually felt a little excited at this. "I accept your truce but only on one condition."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and nodded, gesturing him to continue with the condition. "Great!" he said, smiling at the Gryffindor just to get a reaction and naturally that attractive shade of red comes back to his face. It always brightens up his day when he sees Potter smile, or blush. "What's the condition I must know about?"

Harry gave a small smile; how could Malfoy not know of the condition? It's so easy to guess. "Do not insult my friends," he told him with a little bit of a stern voice. He couldn't be stern to Draco though. In the near future, he just cannot wait to get to know this side of Draco.

Malfoy nodded. Although that promise seems a little hard to keep. He'll find a way. He'll promise it to Harry. Before he said anything to him, he looked down to his shoes and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for everything I've done too you and your friends," he looked back up at Harry, into those breathtakingly green eyes and his eyebrows gathered in. "If I could go back and change what I've said and done I would have." He asked him for his hand in friendship, just like he did in his first year, but he had a feeling Potter wouldn't reject him again.

Harry took Malfoy's hand and shook it. He immediately felt a little electric shock as he touched the Slytherin's warm hand but ignored it. "It's alright, I'm sorry too," he told him softly. Looking into Malfoy's eyes, he studied them to see if the Slytherin also felt the same thing he did. He saw a spark of emotion in the Slytherin wizards' eyes but could not pick up what it was.

Malfoy felt the similar electric shock as Harry had just touched his hand but ignored it also. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused as to why Potter was apologizing. "What are you sorry for, Potter?" He forgot they were still shaking hands. It's just the warmth from the other bloke's hand made him feel as if he was at home, and he loved it. He didn't want it to end.

Harry kept the small smile on his face, finding it a little sweet that M- Draco would be asking about his own apology. "For not taking your hand in friendship back then and please, call me Harry."

Draco nodded; glad they could come to terms with their truce. "Alright then, Harry." The name was so alien on his tongue, but he actually likes it. "And there's no need to apologize," he said gently, shaking his head. He bit his lip and Harry was mesmerized at how soft those lips look. "I was a little rich prick back then." His cheeks burned with shame, knowing he was right. "I believed that my father was always right, and that Purebloods are superior wizards, but we're really not. We're just people. And if I'm going to call you Harry, then just call me Draco."

Harry felt something inside him making him feel warm and funny as Draco called him by his first name. He liked it. No, he loved it. "I understand that Draco, and you're not... a... I don't want to say it. You're pretty smart."

Draco felt his face and neck go warm at the sudden compliment, especially with the word 'pretty' coming from Harry's mouth. He just feels like skipping through the corridors of Hogwarts with a smile now. Merlin, this is how Harry makes him feel. "I hate to admit this, but I would still have to insult you and your friends."

Harry didn't understand this at all. First, Draco wants to make a truce, but he also must keep insulting him and his friends? Boys are just so confusing... "Why?"

Draco hated this too, but he just didn't want his father finding out about this. Who knows how his father will take this? How about his mother? "I need to keep acting as I should be and keep a low profile," he told Harry carefully, frowning a little at the thought of hurting Harry in some kind of way like insulting his friends. "If some Slytherins find me befriending people in different Hogwarts houses I'm sure my father will most definitely hear about that in a matter of hours. I wouldn't know what would happen if he found out, what would happen to me. Either I get disowned or just punished... for my acts."

Harry didn't like what he was hearing. Punished for acting a certain way? That was bad. It reminded him of times at the Dursleys and the beatings he'd get but he knew he deserved them. "I understand," he told him. "Just, don't go too far and please do not insult my friends too much. Insult me, I can easily take them. I'm used to it." That last two sentence was a big ass lie but he will take insults just for Draco if that is really what should happen.

Draco's frown deepened if that was possible. He felt a little guilty now. Does Potter-, Harry actually mean he can take insults? How many insults has he taken and ignored? He said that he's used to it. Surely that wasn't because of himself, was it?

Both boys forgot that they were still shaking hands, well not shaking hands exactly but holding hands though they were too caught up in each other's eyes to notice. They both blushed a little as they just stared into each other's eyes. It wasn't until Draco squeezed Harry's hand out of reflex that they both looked down at their entwined hands and blushed even redder.

"Sorry," they both said as they let go of each other's hands and took a step back. Secretly, they wanted to be closer to one another again.

"I-, uh... I'm going to go," Draco said quickly and pointing his thumb behind him at the castle. But first, he bit his lip, clearly thinking about something. "Harry..." He swallowed down the lump trying to stop himself from saying this. "Have you ever noticed that ... you've got the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen?"

Harry looks at him, and his face reddens the colour of a tomato. He smiles sweetly and pushes back a strand of hair from his eyes. He remembers that Justin guy saying something similar to him about his eyes. "No... I- um... Thank you, Malfoy. I mean Draco. Yeah, Draco... Um..." Jesus Christ! The bloody stutter!

Draco smiled at him and said, "Well, it's true Harry." He then spun around and rushed back up to the castle with his head held high and Slytherin robes billowing behind him. He couldn't believe he had just done that. Oh, Ivy's going to be exploding into glitter when she hears about this.

Harry watched Draco leave; he was forgetting he was staring at the blonde's butt. He just could not believe that he had just been complimented by none other than Draco Malfoy! The hottest boy in school. Well, he believes that Draco's the hottest. And he held his hand!

He then made his way back up to the castle behind Draco for Divination and then Potions. He wondered how the Slytherin could look so elegant when walking, or even how he could do that flowy thing with his robes. He noticed that the Slytherin almost walked like a model, or even a cat. So elegant and posh.

Divination was the same as always. Professor Trelawny giving Harry death predictions every now and then throughout the lessons. Even learning about the planets in space, the professor would always come up with something that would supposedly affect Harry in the near future. To Harry, it was annoying and depressing. Having predictions being fed to Harry by his own teacher just makes him want to just sleep forever and hope they don't come true. It's what brought his mood down and nothing could bring him back up to what he would call 'happiness'. The only inch of happiness he felt was when befriending Draco and hearing the Slytherin compliment him. That's all.

Harry sat with Ron in Potions, as always. He glanced up at the Slytherin table a few times and met eyes with a certain silver-eyed blonde Slytherin. He faked a smile at the Slytherin and turned back to making his potion, but he could still feel the blonde's eyes on him. This always gave him butterflies in his stomach.

Harry could feel his cheeks warm up every time he glanced over again. When he met eyes with the blonde again, he mouthed "Stop staring" to him, even though he knew he also was staring. He could see a pink tinge form on the blonde's cheeks as he looked away and he chuckled because of how cute that made the blonde look.

Hermione noticed Harry's distraction in class, Draco Malfoy. She had no clue what was going on between those two, but she had a hunch as she has caught Harry ogling the Slytherin a lot. She's also caught Harry staring at a lot of guys throughout the years and completely ignoring the pretty girls he's ever come across with. She smiled at her friend and continued writing down the ingredients for a potion.

Snape looked up from his desk at a snickering black-haired boy with round spectacles. He sneered at the boy, wondering what was so funny that he would distract his class with his laughter. "What are you laughing at, Mr Potter?"

Harry looked directly up at his potion's teacher, a frown appearing on his face. He didn't think his laughter was that loud and he definitely didn't need Snape's oppression either. "Nothing, sir!"

"Get back to devising the ingredients to the potion you'll be brewing then!" Snape responded coolly in his monotoned voice and crossed his arms over his chest. Harry nodded and continued writing but a little slower. He still felt eyes drilling into his head and looked over at the Slytherins. Draco winked at Harry, causing him to blush a little so Harry glared at him in annoyance as the blonde Slytherin got him into trouble and continued writing down ingredients for a potion.

*****

In all his classes, Harry has noticed Draco staring at him. He didn't mind it at all. Unless something was wrong... Which there wasn't and thank Merlin for that. It actually was a little sweet and it always made his cheeks feel warm whenever he caught Draco staring. But the best part about catching the blonde Slytherin staring at him was the pink tinges that always appeared on his cheeks.

Harry didn't know why but seeing those pink tinges always made something inside him flutter and he thought how attractive it was. It really was a pretty sight to see as well as that charming smile that always makes his heart skip a few beats.

Whenever he does catch Draco staring, to his delight, the blonde snake would smile at him with those pink cheeks he adores. He tries smiling back at Draco, though it's very hard to manage a real one so he gives his forced smiles. His mental health has only been getting worse now. He tries so much to hang around Hermione and Ron more but all he does it make Hermione seem to worry about him with his frowns which he cannot help at all and his lacking interest in the things he used to enjoy like evening strolls of the grounds. So, all he does is go for lonely walks around the castle or go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom for some alone time.

In the corridors of the castle, whenever he and Draco would walk by or see each other, they would just smile at each other quickly and head off to where they ought to be. So far nobody has thought of their behaviour and friendliness towards each other as suspicious in any way which was good. He understands Draco doesn't want too many people to find out about their friendship because of his reasons and Harry accepts that.

Harry was walking through an empty corridor as he prefers them that way and he had his hood over his head to block out the rest of the world. All he wanted was a break from the rest of the world, Hermione, and Ron. They weren't being very talkish to him as much which is why he decides to isolate himself from them. It pretty much happens every day and he's fine with it. Then he hears a distant "Harry" come from somewhere around him. He pretends to ignore it and keep walking but as he does so he hears footsteps coming from behind him. Deciding that it is rude to ignore someone calling him, he turns around and faces the one and only Draco Malfoy. "Hello, Draco."

"Good morning, Harry," Draco says warmly with a smile as he comes up to Harry. Why does Harry have his hood over his head when it's not even raining outside? He quickly glances around the corridors for any oncoming students but sees no one. "How are you?"

Not this question again. But Harry knows it's just a polite way of asking how you have been doing. He gave Draco a smile as he said, "I'm doing fine, thank you." He hesitated for a second, thinking if that lie was believable or not. By looking at Draco, he didn't see any looks of disbelief or anything. "How about you? How are you doing on this fine morning?"

"My day has gotten better since I'm with you," Draco said in a sweet tone of voice, and his cheeks glowed as he moved a little closer to Harry. To his admiration, Harry blushed because of his words of choice. Maybe he should flirt with Harry more often than keeping it inside himself. Flirting with this Gryffindor is exceptionally fun, specifically when he gets to view Harry's reaction and see him blush.

Harry looked to the floor and he couldn't help but smile. Draco was being so sweet right now; it just warmed his insides. How could he repay him back? "Well... uh, y-you always find a way l-like smiling and it makes my day a little brighter." He cannot believe he said. And it's a big hint about his feelings for Draco.

A blush appears on Draco's face. Usually, he would do the flirting with Harry and he doesn't mind this one bit. Change is good, isn't it? "Thanks, Harry," he says, pushing back a strand of his hair that fell into his eyes. His white-blonde eyebrows drew in close as he wondered why Harry was alone. "Might I ask why you're walking the corridors alone and not with Weasley and Granger?"

"I just wanted to go for a walk around the castle," Harry says, and he looks to the left of him at a large castle window overlooking the green mountains in the distance. He walks to it and looks at the scenery below him of the grounds of Hogwarts. He saw students outside playing around, running, or sitting and reading books. The presence of Draco joining him by the window brings a little flutter within and he has an urge to be closer. "Hermione and Ron have been doing their own things. It's fine though. I like my peaceful walks around Hogwarts."

Draco was having a few doubts about Harry's friends. He seems so down and Granger and Weasley aren't there for him. Where's Harry's friends when Harry needs them the most? Oh well. At least he's here for Harry. "So, what do Gryffindor's do for fun? Or what you like doing for fun?"

"Nothing much. We just talk, go for a walk, or snack," Harry explained to him. He looked beside him at Draco who stared down at the grounds of the castle, looking so deep in thought that Harry wished he knew what the Slytherin was thinking. "What about you and the Slytherins?"

"We pretty much do all the same, but we like hearing and talking about the gossip in Hogwarts," Draco says, and he looks back at Harry who he catches staring at him. He smiles and looks down at his nails, seeing if there's anything he needs to fix. He doesn't see anything but himself in a few hours buffing his nails.

Harry just nods, wondering what kind of gossip the Slytherin's hear about. Was it gossip that would have ruined someone's life if it were humiliating or just good gossip like if two people have started dating? How he wishes this blonde Slytherin can be his, but he knows about Ivy. He still has a disliking for her. He doesn't understand why he gets so worked up when he sees her with Draco. It's just... He wants to be the one next to Draco, holding hands, hugging... kissing.

The sound of footsteps running through the corridors makes Draco panic a little and look around. He would actually like the whole of Hogwarts to know about his and Harry's friendship, but he just doesn't want word spreading to his father about it. Who knows how his own father would react to him befriending Harry Potter?

"Draco!"

It was Ivy who called out Draco's name, to Harry's disappointment. Oh, but she's crying. Harry didn't understand this at all. Ivy ran up to Draco, tears running down her face, and she hugged him tightly. Harry just wanted to escape. He couldn't stand the sight of these two hugging. He just felt sick. "Um... I'm just going to go. I'll see you around, Draco."

Draco frowns, not wanting Harry to go at all. However, he knows Ivy would need to talk to himself alone, like she always does. "See you, Harry," he says while he rubs Ivy's back soothingly in the hug. "It was great talking to you."

Harry nods again and turns around to walk away. He's headed up to Gryffindor Tower to find a place to be alone. Probably Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The pain of just seeing those two makes him feel utterly lost. He feels as if he should be happy for Draco when really, he doesn't.

Ivy watches Harry leaving, and she looks up at Draco with tears in her eyes. "It seems like you two are getting along quite well, Draco," she says, intrigued as to what her cousin and Harry would have talked about... or even done. "There haven't been any secret snogging sessions between you and Harry that I don't know of, is there?"

Draco smiled at the thought of kissing Harry, feeling his lips pressed against his own in a soft kiss. "No," he shook his head. "No secret snogging sessions and if there were you know you would be the first to find out. Now let's talk about why you're upset. What happened?"

Ivy ended the hug and sat on the windowsill of the castle's big window. She sighed miserably, her back pressed against the window which made Draco's anxiety soar. "I was just in the library looking for a book to read when I passed... a table of fifth years and they whispered..." she paused, and she blinked at her tears which began rolling down her cheeks. "They whispered such obnoxious words to me. One of them even called me a... a..."

"It's alright, Ivy," Draco told her quietly in a soothing voice. Whoever hurt his cousin will be sued for life if he could do such a thing or worse. He'll make their lives a living hell. "Just take your time. We have all day if needed."

"A slut," Ivy said, and then she broke down into sobs. She hated life at times. It was just so...depressing! Draco frowns and joins her on the windowsill, sitting beside her. How dare someone call her that! He doesn't understand people at all.

"What house are they in and do you know any of their names?" Draco asked her softly, wanting to kill whoever these people are that hurt his cousin. Can't they actually get a life? "Whoever they are, Pansy, Blaise, and I will gang up on them and give them hell for you."

"They were a mixture of Ravenclaw and Slytherin students," Ivy told him, wiping at her eyes with her palms and messing her black makeup up, making it smudge her cheeks and around her eyes. "One of the Slytherin guys was named Jacob, and his friends Michael and Max. I recognize a Ravenclaw girl as Kiely and her best friend Tobias."

Draco growled deeply, knowing who Tobias, Jacob, and Max were. Whenever he sees them again, he will give them hell and they just won't escape from him. He hopes they're feeling entirely guilty now because when someone messes with his friends, oh, they will be sorry.

*****

Harry was still thinking about whether he should tell Hermione and Ron about the truce with Draco, but also his sexuality. He knew he should though, just never know when to. He knew Ron would probably think that he had gone mental to make a truce with Draco, but Hermione would probably know sooner than later because of how smart she is. He also hoped Ron would accept him as being gay and pondered how Ron would take him to have a liking for Draco. Of course, Hermione already knew for how could she not? The brightest witch of her age nonetheless she was a muggle-born.

Harry was just walking through the castle alone, contemplating about his life and what it would be like if he had dreamt the whole thing about Hogwarts and woke up back in his cupboard under the stairs. He then saw a familiar set of Hufflepuff robes walking towards the Divination tower. It was Cedric Diggory. Harry didn't know if he should call out his name and have a conversation about something or just let him be. But neither of those options mattered as Cedric came over to him.

"Hiya, Harry," Cedric said with a smile as he neared Harry and gave him a pat on the back. Harry wasn't ready for that pat; he wasn't used to being touched as much either. He's always kept to himself and stayed as far away as possible from anyone who could accidentally reach out and roll his sleeves up.

Harry looked up at Cedric and smiled back. Well, tried to smile. "Hello, Cedric." He's been quite alone today. It was fun while it lasted but it's nice to see a friendly face once in a while. He'd like to see Draco's friendly face more than often too but he's probably down in the Slytherin Dungeons.

"Say, how has your first week back at Hogwarts been?" Cedric asked him, and his smile slowly built as he raised an eyebrow. Harry could have laughed. His first week has been pretty shitty. In fact, he's been pretty shitty for months, but he wouldn't tell anyone that. He doesn't want people worrying about him. He's fine...

Harry looked down at the floor and sighed. Here comes the big lie again. All his life is a lie actually. Fake smile, doesn't sleep, his friends don't talk to him much, slitted wrists, and thinking about suicide. How nice. "It's been fine," he told him with a smile. He hoped the smile was enough to fool the Hufflepuff. "How about you?"

Cedric noticed the emptiness in Harry's eyes which he grew concerned about and told himself to keep an eye on Harry throughout the year. "My week has been great!" He hesitated and looked down at Harry with worry expressed over his face, noticing just how dull and down the Gryffindor looked. "Are you feeling alright, Harry?"

Harry nodded and looked back up into warm grey-brown eyes. And another lie he must tell but he ought to keep it all inside him so nobody could find this broken boy. He will keep lying for as long as he can until... He doesn't know and will make sure everything stays bottled up inside himself. "I'm fine." The lie he keeps telling everyone, but he is used to it now.

Cedric, of course, didn't believe him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" he asked him in a soft soothing voice which was supposed to make Harry open up to him a bit but it didn't work. Harry nodded and continued to stare back down at the ground. What he knows is if people start seeing more than most he needs to get away. But he can't just run away without a reason.

"Hey..." Cedric said softly and lifted Harry's chin up so Harry was looking up at him. It was like he was looking into the eyes of a corpse which he has done previously. "Do you want to talk about something? Did anything over the holidays happen?"

Harry shook his head, he winced as he heard the word 'Holidays'. A lot of things happened during the holidays and a lot of those 'things' were fucked up. Just like his life, which he remembers he tried to end by overdosing. What a beautiful memory that resurfaces to the front of his mind every day and it doesn't help him at all. He just contemplates suicide over again, every day.

Cedric sighed; knowing because of Harry's gesture and demeanour that something did happen. By the look on Harry's face and in his very dull eyes, he knew Harry won't talk to him, so he decided to drop the topic for later. "So, did anything interesting happen this week?"

Harry was about to shake his head but remembered something did happen. Draco. It's the only good thing that has happened since coming back to Hogwarts. "Yes, actually," he said with a halfhearted nod of his head. "Back in Care of Magical Creatures class, Draco made a truce with me."

Cedric looked a little disbelieving at first, but the little smile forcing its way through on Harry's mouth told him otherwise. His eyes widened in surprise as he never in his life would ever think that Draco would be one for making truces. "That's lovely!" he said with a gentle voice and a satisfied smile. "Did he say why he wanted a truce?"

Harry itched at his nose for some reason. He doesn't understand itches and why they suddenly come out of nowhere. But back to Draco... All he remembers Draco saying that the whole rivalry was childish. That's all he remembers. "He only made the truce because he knew it was childish."

Cedric laughed and nudged Harry in the arm with his elbow playfully. "Perhaps he wanted to start something new."

Harry began to blush, thinking about starting something romantic with Draco. Oh, a boy can dream. But Ivy's his girlfriend, isn't she? And Does Cedric mean Draco wanted to be just friends with him or... more? "Maybe..." was all he could say.

Cedric smiled at the oblivious boy in front of him. "Maybe is an understatement, Harry." He knew too well what could happen to the friendship between Harry and Draco if it'd progressed. They had a lot of chemistry; they both just didn't see it. "Have you talked to Ron and Hermione about your sexuality?"

Harry shook his head, "No, not yet." He hesitated and took a calming breath at how Ron will take to his coming-out in the near future. Ron was still a mystery to how Harry will come out to him. Might as well tell him about Hermione knowing. She did know of his crush on Draco. "But I have a feeling that Hermione will soon find out. Knowing her, she could guess in a matter of days."

"I see, but you should tell them," Cedric said with a little mixture of seriousness and earnestly. This was an important topic to talk about and it must be talked to with friends. "It's better if you tell them than keep it all bottled up on the inside and wait until they find out."

"I know and I'll tell them when I can," Harry said to him, dropping his gaze back to the floor as somehow tears were forming in his eyes. The hell is happening. Is he having some kind of relapse or something? He blinked away the tears, focusing on the topic at hand. He just didn't know when he'll be able to tell Ron and Hermione about the truce with Draco. This was just decision making which he really can't be bothered with doing. "By the way, do you think you'll get into the tournament?"

"Not too sure. I know a lot of other students are entering in as well. I can't guarantee I'll definitely get in," Cedric said, pushing back some loose strands of his hair. Harry gives a little nod. He hasn't been thinking of the Tournament at all. It's all just a shadow in the back of his mind. "I wonder what it'd be like to have a whole other school here for the tournament. It would definitely make it more challenging."

"Yeah, that would be true," Harry said with a fake small smile, pondering when he'll see Ron and Hermione next. But by the sound of 'more students coming to Hogwarts', his social anxiety was starting to increase already. Why must life be so hard? "I know that Fred and George would still be plotting ways to get into the age line," he said just to start a new topic. An intriguing topic. "Do you think they will make it?"

Cedric shrugged and laughed at the thought of the twins trying their best to trick Dumbledore's age line. He gives those two all his luck. "Knowing those two they would try their hardest to get into the age line, but I highly doubt they will make it."

Harry nodded, he looked over Cedric's shoulder and saw Draco walking towards the Transfiguration Courtyard with his robes billowing behind him. Such a pretty sight to see with that blonde hair he wants to feel in his fingers, and those silver eyes that always makes something inside him flutter, those lips that he wants to feel against his own... "I don't think magic can be cheated on."

Cedric raised his finger in agreement. "That is correct!" He took a step back and bit his lip, smiling with a pink tinge to his cheeks. "Anyway, I'm going to catch up with Joshua. We have a date on the weekend, we're planning on where to go. Bye Harry!"

"Okay, Cedric. Have fun planning the date," Harry said with as much sympathy he could, his small smile still plastered on his face. He felt a little jealous that Cedric had someone to hold, kiss, hug, and whatnot. He watched as Cedric turned and left, he didn't have that dramatic exit like Draco does where his head is held high and his hair stays in one position...

Harry smiled at the thought of Draco, comparing him with Cedric. Why he was doing that? He had no idea. He turned and left for Gryffindor common room to work on one of his essays, even though he wanted to go and find Draco to have a chat with him.

*****

That Saturday, Harry watched Cedric and Joshua leave the Hogwarts grounds with intertwined hands from behind a tapestry in a courtyard. He smiled weakly at them and wished he had someone to go out with too. Well, a particular whitish blonde haired Slytherin wizard.

"Stalkerish much?"

Harry, stunned from that familiar voice, turned around and looked up into shining silver eyes. He didn't think the blonde could even find him in the mass of students walking around on this beautiful morning. Well, there was one person who was more beautiful than a bright morning. "Draco, hello!" he said, still a little surprised that the blonde snake would pop out of nowhere. "And no. I'm just watching them..."

Draco smiles and looks at the leaving figures of the two seventh year boys holding hands. He wished he were like them, but with a certain guy. A certain guy he's currently standing next to. He looks at Harry, into those emerald green eyes and says, "It still looks like your stalking them, Harry."

Harry looked back over to where the two silhouettes were, but they were now gone. Had they apparated? he had not an idea. He just adored when Draco uses his first name. It felt so normal, even if it's not. "It's just... they're very cute together."

"Yeah," Draco said as he stared into emerald green orbs. The green eyes that he complimented on the first day of their fourth year at Hogwarts. Who wouldn't complement those eyes? A stunning green that shines like an emerald in a white room. "They are."

Harry looked back at him, wondering what this handsome bloke was doing up this early. The last time he checked it was seven in the morning. Way too early for a teenager to be up at, beside himself. He still doesn't get enough sleep. Either one hours of sleep or two he gets. "So, what're you doing up this early?" He gradually drummed his fingers on the tapestry frame. "Most people are still sleeping at around seven on a Saturday and Sunday morning."

"I just wanted to go for a walk, that's all," Draco told him. "And I'm sort of an early bird." He then furrowed his eyebrows as he saw a dull look in those green eyes that belong to the boy he really, really likes. It's a very familiar look. "Harry, are you alright?"

And there's that bloody question again. The question Harry really dislikes. Can he possibly have a break from the three worded question? "Yes, I'm fine." He tried not to frown as his face grew expressionless. Lying to Draco... it actually hurt. It was like a needle pricked his heart and began bleeding internally. The 'I'm fine' lie he's been telling for so long, his entire life actually.

Draco didn't know if Harry was lying or not, so he just let it be for now. If he wants this friendship to build, he rather it be with no lying. He doesn't know what Gryffindor friendships are like, and if there's lying involved which actually is a little disappointing. He really disliked seeing Harry look so...numb and dead to the world. The dull look in his eyes was so familiar, but he just could not decipher where he's seen it from. He only hoped Harry was telling the truth and that he really was well. "Okay, but if you need to talk about anything to me...Anything I'm always here for you," he assured him with a soft smile. "You know that, right?"

"I know," Harry said while nodding slightly, and he frowned. "Thank you, Draco." That charming smile Draco gave him... it was beautiful. He loved it and it made something inside him... his heart flip. Everyone keeps telling him that he can talk to them about all this, but do they actually mean it? Although he doesn't want to tell anybody about his crappy life. He just knows they will laugh at him and tell him that it's either a mood swing, that he's an attention seeker, or that it is a phase.

"No need to thank me, Harry," Draco said with an easy shake of his head and a tone that's gentle and comforting. He just hoped Harry will open up to him about whatever's making him feel down because he knows the dull look in one's eye isn't normal at all. "It's what good friends do."

Harry just wanted to lean against Draco and hug him, thanking him but thought that would be a bit much for their new friendship. He would love a hug from Draco but knows he doesn't deserve hugs especially by an attractive guy like Draco. This Slytherin just deserves so much more. Why is he even wasting time with a person like himself? Shouldn't he be with his friends that actually mean something to him?

"Want to go to the library?" Draco suddenly asked, changing the topic because he knows when Ivy's depressed, he would have to talk to her about other things or go to places with her. He's not an expert with mental health, but he knows that it's the best thing he knows to do.

"Oh, sure," Harry said as he pulled the hood of his robe over his head. It's become a habit now. He likes the protection he gets from hoodies and his school robes' hoods. They blocked out the rest of the world for him. But back to the topic of libraries, it would be nice to go somewhere silent, specifically with Draco.

Draco didn't really understand why Harry always has the hood of his school robe over his head. He has seen Harry hiding himself by his robes since school started. Not to sound nosy but it actually concerned him. Why would Harry hide his stunning self from the world? "Harry..." He stood in front of the Gryffindor and pulled the hood down so he could see Harry better. "Don't hide yourself. You're an incredible person." His cheeks were tinged pink as he just complimented Harry, his crush since forever.

Harry's blush returned to his cheeks, and he smiled at the blonde Slytherin. This incredible, attractive as hell bloke just complimented him. He's either hit himself hard in the head or he's dreaming. Although, if he really hit himself in the head and this actually happened then he doesn't mind. "Thanks, Draco. You're p-pretty too. Uh-, I mean... incredible!" Jesus fucking Christ. That did not just happen! He's just feeling like an idiot and he should run away.

The Slytherin gave him a soft expression and he cups his own mouth with a smile. He adored how much Harry was stuttering and mixing up his words. But that compliment, if that's what it is, he will never forget about it. "Let's go, Harry. To the Library."

They headed to the library in silence, stealing glances at each other from time to time but Draco mostly saw a frown on the Gryffindor's face and it kind of hurt. Seeing someone so beautiful and innocent have to go through who knows what. He wanted to know though. But he just doesn't know if Harry will open up to him. Does the Weasel and Granger know of this? He doesn't want to talk to them to find out. As they entered the library together, they headed through one of the aisles to sit at an elongated table.

Harry grabbed the first book he could see in front of him. Enchantments: Through the modern ages He read the blurb, not noticing the Slytherin looking up at him worriedly until he looked back at him. Giving Draco a fake smile, he turned the book back over to open it and started reading the first chapter. He just wanted to read away the bad thoughts if that were possible. Usually, by doing chores the thoughts would go away for a while, but they would eventually find their way back into his mind.

Draco sighed at the sad Gryffindor and grabbed a white book from the shelf in his reach. He didn't read the title or the blurb and started reading the chapter. Although he was finding it hard to concentrate when the thing that worried him the most was Harry's state, he seemed to be in. What was up with Harry Potter?

A couple of minutes later after reading a few pages of the book he was reading, Harry looked back at the Slytherin and noticed he was slowly lowering his head to the desk and nodding off into sleep. He couldn't help but smile an actual little smile, it really was a beautiful sight. At least it was a little smile. That was something. Seeing Draco slowly fall asleep in the library, he'd watch all day if he could. He rested his arm on the table and his palm held up his head as he stared at the blonde in an almost dreamily way.

A certain flash of red broke Harry's dreamy state and he looked over at the other side of the library, seeing Hermione giving him a knowing smile with a red book in her hands. Harry blushed from being caught staring at Draco and looked back down at the book he was reading with a smile. Why the hell was Hermione here? Oh, never mind. She's always in the Hogwarts Library.

He looked back at the Sleeping Draco Malfoy but knew Hermione was still watching him with that annoying knowing smile on her face. Really, he just couldn't help to not look at this beautiful bloke beside him. He didn't even recall moving his hand up to even touch the blonde's hair but as he felt how soft and silky his hair was, he drew his hand back as Draco fluttered his silver eyes open.

Draco looked up at Harry with a red tinge to his cheeks as he knew Harry had been touching his hair. He would normally snap at whoever touches his hair, even if it is Pansy or Ivy but with Harry, it just felt different and it felt like...home. It felt nice, really nice. It was like a massage but from someone you really, really like.

Harry smiled at the red tinge to Draco's cheeks, not knowing what that was but really liked it as he found it very attractive. He could just look at him for eternity, not that it's creepy or anything. This Draco he was getting to know... He really likes him. He wants to get to know Draco better from the git he knew.

A smile. That was what Draco could see on Harry's face as he woke up and so he smiled back. It was such a beautiful thing to see. Much more beautiful than nature itself. "Did you really have to wake me up?" he asked the green-eyed Gryffindor tiredly with a little yawn.

"Yes, since Hermione keeps flashing me these annoying looks," Harry said with a little irritation in his voice, and he glared over Draco's shoulder at Hermione who shook her head and looked back down at her open book. He looked back into silver eyes, wanting to just get away from Hermione and take Draco with him. Merlin, that kind of sounds... selfish, doesn't it?

"Maybe she likes you," Draco suggested with a smirk, but the thought of Granger liking Harry kind of hurt and made him feel a little protective over Harry. "Ever thought about that?" The thought of that muggle-born getting together with Harry made him feel sick. Merlin, Harry makes him go crazy. No wonder he took the rejection too seriously.

Harry shook his head, not even thinking that his best friend could like him in that way. Even if she did, he wouldn't have noticed. Who would even like a freak like himself? "She doesn't." He looked back to the book he was previously reading. The first word he spots in one paragraph is 'soul'. Strange... "She's always looking over at the Slytherin table."

Draco chuckled, having a clue at who Granger was probably looking at. It's obvious. It's his best friend. "Pansy", he muttered under his breath, smiling at the thought of Pansy finding out about this. She'll literally be running up and down the walls with happiness and bouncing from roof to floor.

Harry looked at him again, raising an eyebrow. "What was that?" Did he hear wrong? He swore Draco said a girl's name. That Parkinson girl. Pansy, isn't it?

"Nothing," Draco said rather quickly as he looked down at the book in front of him. "I should go... My friends are going to wonder where I am when they wake up." He sat up and pushed the chair back under the table. He smiled at Harry, running a hand through his hair and Harry smiled back at him.

"Oh, okay," Harry said and sounded a bit sad. He didn't want Draco to go already. They only spent less than an hour together. Maybe further on in the day, they can spend more time together. "It was great spending time with you today Draco, even if it was for a little while."

"As it was so, Harry," Draco said, agreeing with him about the 'spending time together' part of the morning. He'd love to do this again but didn't know how to say it. He stood there, staring into green eyes and bit his lip, "Right, I should... Goodbye, Harry."

Harry watched the Slytherin leave, his whitish blonde hair looking as perfect as ever, even if Harry did touch it. He wished he could join Draco and meet his friends. If this were the real Draco, he was meeting then he would like to get to know Draco's friends too. He watched the silhouette of Hermione come over from the other side of the library. He groaned in annoyance at that knowing smile still plastered on her face.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione said cheerfully, smiling at her best friend who she literally saw talk to Draco Malfoy out of all the other people in Hogwarts. "How are you? And what was Malfoy doing with you?"

Harry remembered he still hadn't told Hermione about the truce he made with Draco, but he was too annoyed by that smile to tell her anything of her concern. He'll tell her anyway as she deserves to know. "Believe it or not, he and I are friends."

Hermione laughed at the 'lie' Harry just told her. Harry and Draco, friends? That's just a funny thought. "Right... Sure, okay. Anyway... I'm going to go find Ron to make him do something useful that doesn't involve playing Wizards chess or procrastinating in the common room."

'Good luck with that,' was what Harry just wanted to tell her as getting Ron to do anything useful is hard work and he knows this. "Alright. See you." He looked down at his book and decided to finish off the chapter of the book he was reading.

A certain object caught his eye. It was in the book Draco had previously been reading. Harry moved the book towards him and had a closer look at the object. It is a flower pressed into the book. A red rose. Is it Draco's or has it always been there? Maybe it was given to Draco by someone...? Has Draco been getting gifts from people? It's not even Valentine's day yet!

If it were Draco's rose, he would rather buy him a new rose instead of giving him that squashed rose back. But what if this rose means a lot to him? Maybe it was given to him by his friends or parents. At least he had parents... Parents that were still alive and loved him.

Getting a little lost in his thoughts about this rose and Draco, he looks at the chapter Draco had been reading. It was chapter one. The blonde Slytherin must have been too tired to actually read anything. He spots the word 'mate' in the footer heading of the book. Soul and mate. Hmm... It can't have been a coincidence, could it?

Harry decided to put the book he was reading back on its shelf as well as the one Draco chose but he took out the rose. He had no idea when he will next see Draco next just to give him the rose back, but he ended up leaving the library and heading for the dungeons. He knows where the entrance to the Slytherin dungeon is, he just needs the password.

He paced back and forth a few feet away from the Slytherin entrance and waited for some Slytherin's to appear. He didn't see any. After all, it would be close to eight in the morning but he's sure people start getting up at around eight or try to.

"Potter?"

It was such an unfamiliar male voice. Harry turned to look at who called him by his last name. He had no idea who this guy was, but he has seen him before. Only a few times. A dark-haired and dark-eyed boy. Italian by guess, and a Slytherin. "Oh, hi... Sorry, who are you?"

The boy smiled at him and seemed like he was going to ask for a friendly handshake, but he kept his hands behind his back, linked. "Forgive me. I'm Blaise. Blaise Zabini," he said with his chin high and showing great posture. "Now what's a Gryffindor like you doing wandering the dungeons?"

"I actually came to see Draco," Harry states. He didn't think this Blaise guy would even believe him when he says he needs to see Draco, but Blaise just nods at him like he's known all along. He couldn't have, right? "We were in the library. He forgot his rose."

Harry gave Blaise the rose, and Blaise hesitantly takes it, studies it, and shakes his head. "Draco doesn't own a rose. Or even a bookmark, if you found it in a book he was reading," he told him honestly, giving a half-smile. As he studies the rose, he makes a note of one thing. This wasn't a real rose, or a man-made one. It was a magical one. His knowledge of magical roses even astounds himself. He's been intrigued with magical artefacts since he was younger. Especially ones that are unique and nature-like. Roses that are made my magic always have something to do with love, soulmates, and true love.

"Oh," said Harry, now contemplating why he came down here in the first place. "He left it in the white book he was reading. I just thought maybe it would have been a bookmark of his. I guess not..."

Blaise replays what Harry said to him and something clicks. He felt surprised at Harry, but also happy for his best friend Draco. Merlin's Beard, Draco had no idea about this. "Did you say the book was white, and the rose was just there? Did you see the title of the book? What colour was the title and what did it say?" The questions just kept coming and Harry had no time to answer them all. "Was Draco there with you when you found the rose or did the rose appear when he left? Did you touch the book at the same time as Draco?"

Harry just blinked at him. So many questions. How was he supposed to keep up with them? Merlin's Beard! "Yes, the book was white, and the title was printed in silver letters," he explained as well as remembering the book as much as he could. But why were they talking about the book? "I didn't see what the title said though. I forgot if Draco and I touched the book together, and when Draco left that's when I saw the rose."

Blaise beamed and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing exactly what this meant. But he still had to interrogate Draco about this for more answers. "Noted," he said simply. He got out his wand and swished it around the flattened rose. The rose puffed itself up like a balloon, unflattening its petals and blooming into the rose it was before getting flattened. "Would you like me to give this to Draco but say it's from you?"

"Oh, no thanks," Harry said at once, shaking his head and waving his hands as a 'no thank you' gesture. "I... I'm sure his girlfriend would rather have it or be given it by Draco." The thought made him sick to his stomach. He didn't hate Ivy, but he disliked her for being Draco's. It just hurt him to know Draco's taken.

"Girlfriend?" Blaise asked with a strike of confusion, and he shook his head. "Draco doesn't even have a girlfriend. He's not even into girls from what I've heard." Harry felt this sudden feeling of hope. His disliking to Ivy vanished, and he felt a little better hearing about this.

"But Ivy Black," Harry reminded him just to make sure of things. He swore they were... he didn't even want to say the word. It sickened him. Merlin, why's he getting all yandere now. "She and Draco are close. I've seen them together a lot..."

Blaise chuckled at the obvious jealousy emitting from this Gryffindor. Someone definitely has a crush on his best friend. "Ivy Black's just a friend of Draco's and a distant relative. Why?" he added in a teasing tone of voice and smirking. "Is someone jealous?"

Harry swiftly shook his head. Jealous? Who's jealous? Definitely not him. No way. "N-No..." He swallowed. Damn. The traitorous stutter. It always gives him away. Blaise just continued to laugh.

"Keep telling yourself that, Potter," Blaise says after he stopped laughing so much. It was actually hurting him a little bit. "Anyway, I'll see you around. And I'll make sure to give the rose to Draco and say it's from you with all your love. Oh, and your secret is safe with me. Goodbye Potter!"

"Wait!" But it was too late for Harry to stop the Slytherin as he disappeared into the Slytherin common room from the secret entrance. He didn't even get to ask about the book and what he meant! Or about the rose, or what he meant about a secret. What secret? There was a lot of things he could have asked the Slytherin but didn't have the chance.

He headed back up to Gryffindor Tower to Ron, wondering what he was up to. He hasn't seen him all day as he gets up early in the morning to get ready. Sleep just doesn't exist for him anymore. It's all just some childhood memory and dream.

Blaise stalked into the Slytherin common room, past some giggling girls who he decides to just ignore and headed for the fourth year boy’s dormitory. He likes to admire the dorm room every time he walks in. It was nice and large, and it had the tall arched glass windows looking out into the Black Lake and over time you would be able to see a Merfolk swim by or the Giant Squid. The windows had their own dark green curtains hanging down and just touching the floor. 

The room had the five elegantly royal and wooden 4-poster beds with Slytherin green drapes around the side. On the right side of the dorm room were three of the 4-poster beds and on the left side were the last two. Between each bed was a black bedside table with two draws and the only light source was the wall candles place between each of the beds on the wall.  
The walls and floors were the same stone as the stone walls and floors in the common room but there was a large Slytherin green mat to keep the cold at bay. Inside the dorm on the right he found Draco just lying on the bed in the middle which was Draco’s bed. His fellow Slytherin was looking up at the ceiling of the bed with a smile. “Someone seems happy today.” He decided to make his presence known.

Draco blinks and turns his head to look at his best friend. The smile still remained on his lips, and so he nodded. "Yeah. I've just been with Harry." He immediately sits up and looks around the room warily for his other dormmates. He doesn't trust any of them as much as he trusts Blaise to know about his feelings for Harry, and the truce. He doesn't need to tell Pansy as he knows Ivy's probably told her all about it and knowing them, they are probably coming up with ways to get him and Harry together alone. He doesn't need their shenanigans when he can just go see Harry himself like he did this morning.

He sighs and pats the mattress beside him for Blaise to sit down next to him. Blaise did exactly so but left one leg dangling over the side of the bed and the other leg tucked under the other. "I've just been thinking about him. That's all. He touched my hair."

"Merlin, Draco. You never let anyone touch your hair," Blaise says, a little shocked that Draco let Potter actually touch Draco's hair as not even Ivy or Pansy can. Draco's smile widens and that's when he sees the rose in Blaise's hand. What a unique thing to hold.

"Yeah, when Harry touched my hair it just felt so natural," Draco told him. "Whenever you, Ivy, or Pansy try to touch my hair, you know I get stressed and feel as if you've messed up my hair. But when Harry does it, I just don't mind. Well, I would care if he messes my hair up. I just wouldn't be as pissed with him than I am with anyone else."

"I'm glad I get to hear you say this, Draco," Blaise says with a relaxed smile. He's pleased that Draco would share this with him. "Now...this rose is actually for you. I found Harry by the entrance to our common room holding the rose. Merlin, he told me how much he loves you. It hurt to hear because all I heard was Draco this and Draco that."

Draco just froze at what his best friend was saying, and a pink tinge of colour was rising up from his neck to his face, completely making him look like a blushing grapefruit or dragon fruit. "No..." He just didn't believe what he was hearing. Oh, a guy could dream that his crush would like him back. "Harry wouldn't say that... Not about me."

"And why not?" Blaise asked him, then he started chuckling because these boys just don't see beyond their conversations or the lines. He doesn't know Potter that well, but he knows the conversations between Potter and Draco must have a little bit of flirting. "Come on, Draco. You should know if Harry's into you. We are Slytherins. If we want something or someone, we go for them."

Draco was handed the rose by Blaise and he studies it. It's a beautiful red rose. Beautiful like Harry and red for Gryffindor. "You don't get it, Blaise. I want to show Harry that I am into him, but I chicken out and start feeling all nervous around him. Harry, he honestly makes me feel so... different. And it's a really good feeling. It's like he's been missing from my life though he's been here the whole time and I've found him."

"That's delightful to hear, Draco," Blaise says with a fixed gaze on him. He was a little speechless hearing Draco tell him this. It warmed his heart to know that Potter makes his best friend feel this way. "To tell the truth... Potter said that rose was found in the book you were reading. The one with a white binder with silver letterings. Did you see this rose at all before leaving the spot you and Harry were snogging at in the library?" He chuckled at the pinkness on his friends face when 'snogging' and 'Harry' was put in the same sentence. He honestly believes these two were made for each other at the way Harry and Draco have both blushed when the other was mentioned in a sentence. These two boys are just... they need to come out to each other soon enough.

"I think I saw something red on the white book exactly when I was about to leave the aisle Harry and I were reading together in," Draco said in a clear voice just in case his best friend was somehow death and mispronounced a word for 'snogging'. The thought of snogging Harry sounds wonderful beyond imagination and something he really wants to do but he can't just go up to Harry and kiss him square on the lips.

"Oh, so that's what they're calling snogging nowadays," Blaise teased him and began to laugh at the flustered look on his best friend's face. Draco glared at him and gave him a hard push, but it just made Blaise laugh even harder. "Relax, Draco. I'm just messing with you. Now... Did you ever touch the book at the same time as Potter?"

"I'm not too sure," Draco says with a light shrug and he tries to remember if he and Harry really did touch the white book at the same time. "He and I mainly focused on reading, but I admit that I nearly fell asleep. If it weren't for Harry threading his fingers through my hair I wouldn't have woken up." He fiddles with the rose, smiling as he knew Harry would have been in the dungeons just to give him the rose, but it would have been even sweeter if he did it by person.

Blaise smiles at him and just lets Draco believe that the rose was a gift from Harry when really the Gryffindor only thought the rose was a bookmark. He just enjoyed seeing Draco look so happy all because of a guy. It was a nice change to see every now and then which is his best friend in love with another bloke.

***************************************************************

Question of the week: Who's your favourite Harry Potter Character?

Mine would be Harry. :3

Snape: "Obviously."

Me: "Oh! Shut up, Snape!"

While filming Prisoner of Azkaban, the pockets of Tom Felton's Hogwarts robes were sewn shut to stop him sneaking food on set.


	5. Tri-Wizard Champion

Draco had just exited Transfiguration classroom from detention, his mind was quite foggy from being kept in the tiny storeroom cleaning bird cages for transfiguration. What he really needed was a walk. So, he wandered around the courtyard and made his way down to the black lake, passing Peeves who tried to dunk buckets of mice on some first year's heads. He chuckled at the poltergeist and continued to the lake. 

As Draco exited through the large wooden doors of the castle, he couldn't help but see a figure zooming over at the Quidditch pitch. It was like watching a bee zooming across a flower meadow from the distance, except the bee was coloured red and gold. He squinted his eyes and blocked out the sun with his hand and noticed it was none other than Harry Potter.

He smiled at the flying boy, zooming through the big goal hoops and around the stands. He liked the way Harry flew; it wasn't elegant like he could do but still had style. He wondered where he last put his own Nimbus 2001, he knew it wasn't in the locker rooms, nor at Malfoy Manor. It was probably in his dormitory. He sighed, wishing he had his broom so he could fly up to Harry and play whatever game he's playing up at the Quidditch pitch.

Draco walked over to the Quidditch pitch and watched as the figure of Harry came nearer. He went inside one of the Slytherin stands where everyone would be when watching Quidditch games in the Quidditch pitch and just sat there watching Harry fly. He was truly amazing on his broom. Although, the pants Harry was wearing seemed a little tight. He blushed; wondering why he was thinking of Harry's pants and how tight they were. He chuckled at himself and continued watching Harry fly around the pitch.

Harry just flew around the Quidditch pitch, trying to block all the negative thoughts he had been thinking all day. It's all he ever thinks about, negative, suicidal, and depressing thoughts. So far Flying does do its job of blocking those thoughts away. It just takes a long time for it to happen.

He was just flying through the middle goal post when he saw something, no, it was a someone sitting on the stands. He glanced over and noticed it was Draco Malfoy. Draco was just sitting there alone, staring blankly down at the stands below him with a smile. Harry thought Draco's smiles are extremely pretty and attractive without the sneers and the angered features. He wondered what the Slytherin was doing here, at the Quidditch pitch, all alone without Crabbe and Goyle. Harry just smiled; admiring Draco's attractiveness and beauty as he looked like he was thinking deeply about something and flew towards him.

As soon as Draco noticed something coming closer to him from the corner of his eye, he swiftly looked up to meet curious emerald green eyes. How long had Harry known he was here for? "Oh, hey Harry."

Harry smiled down at Draco from on his broom. The Slytherin's blonde hair was shining in the sunlight, making his locks look almost golden and Harry swore something inside him was fluttering. "Hello to you too. What are you doing here, Draco?"

Draco bit his lip, trying to come up with a good enough excuse instead of saying, 'I followed you over here because you're my crush and I also think you should get pants 1 sized bigger because your butt is very distracting'. How he wishes it was that easy to tell someone you like them. "I-, Um... I come out here sometimes to think. I have a lot of thinking places around Hogwarts that nobody really uses and if someone's there I just go to another one of my places." He flushed; he knew he kind of sounded like an idiot when stuttering.

Harry flew down onto the stands and sat next to Draco, placing his broom beside him and tucked his hands under his legs. "Oh," he said, a little intrigued about these places Draco has. He pondered if only Draco knows of these places. "Are these places very secretive or like under a tree?"

Draco looked Harry in the eyes. Those gorgeous warm green eyes that sparkle, but they seem off. They've always looked so dull and empty, but today they really do sparkle beautifully. "What do you mean secretive?" He knew he sounded stupid; he knew what Harry was talking about.

"As in, are these places well known?" Harry asked, smiling mischievously, and looked deep into Draco's warm silver eyes. "Like... In the chamber of secrets?" He wondered if Draco only knows of these places, or if Ivy, Pansy, and Blaise knows of them. His dislike towards Ivy vanished as he knew she and Draco weren't dating. It was a big relief to him.

Draco playfully pushed Harry and chuckled. "No! No chamber of secrets, and these places aren't known," he said. He honestly wouldn't mind Harry showing these places as long as he doesn't show his Gryffindor friends. "I have a few trees I like to sit under, there's a broom cupboard that has a secret entrance that leads into some little room-"

"A broom cupboard?" Harry's eyebrows furrowed, finding it a little curious how a secret room can be in a broom cupboard. This is Hogwarts after all. A castle full of magic and secrets. "Is that place known?"

"Only I know of it," Draco said, and his hand subconsciously moved closer to Harry. When he noticed it, he didn't move it back towards him or anything. He just left it there. "There's also a hidden place in the library, a bookshelf has this one book that stands out. It has a little icon of a white rose; the other books have no icons on them. There are so many places I know of in Hogwarts, thanks to my mother."

Harry fiddled with his quidditch robes' hem, wanting to know more about these rooms and where they are. "You should show me some of these places sometime, that is if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Draco replied with a smile, really wanting to show Harry these places and spend more time with him. What Harry told him... it sounded like Harry was asking him out. But it wouldn't be a date, he knows this. The thought sounded incredible, to be honest with himself. Draco's eyes trailed from Harry's emerald green eyes down to his lips, and he quickly looked away in case he got caught.

Harry's smile grew. He knew he sounded like he was asking Draco out for a date, which he'd love to do. He really just wanted to see these places but also spend time with Draco to get to know him a bit more. He also wanted the relationship to progress slowly. So, from rivals to friends to best friends and then... Boyfriends? Harry still didn't know if Draco was gay or not. Well, he remembers Blaise saying something about Draco not liking girls in that way. "Great! Should we owl each other or just meet up whenever and wherever?"

Draco loved seeing Harry smile; it's been a while since he's seen an actual smile from this boy. It was attractive, adorable, cute... Oh, he could just go on and on. "I think owling each other would be best, then we can figure out where to meet up."

Harry pushed a strand of his black hair out of his eyes, finding it annoying as he stopped him from fully seeing Draco. "That's settled then. Have any thoughts on where we could meet in the future?"

Draco bit his lip; thinking deeply of places he knew were good enough for meeting at but knew of none that wouldn't raise suspicion. "Uh..." There were a few near the Slytherin dungeons but no, that's too obvious. "We can just meet up under a tree."

Harry stared down at Draco's lips, wondering if they're soft like they appear to be. He shouldn't be staring, so he looked back up into the Slytherin's silver eyes. "Okay, what tree?" There were so many trees in Hogwarts so how is he supposed to know which one to go to?

Draco deliberately scooted a bit closer to Harry, wanting to be closer as he's picking up a very fascinating scent from the boy. It was the scent of the outdoors... in a type of forest. "There's a willow tree behind the greenhouses, we could try there."

Harry nodded and stared into shining silver eyes; his hand crawled its way towards Draco's subconsciously. He had no idea there was a Willow Tree behind the greenhouses. He never pays attention to what's around him though. Draco stared back into Emerald green eyes and felt a soft and warm hand touch his. Both boys cleared their throats, muttered "Sorry!" and looked away with light blushes on their cheeks.

"So..." Harry started from the awkward silence and looked at his broom beside him. It's always so astonishing hanging with Draco, even if he feels and is thinking badly among himself. He's glad he has Draco as a friend. He just doesn't want to tell him what he's going through. There's no point in it.

"Yeah?" Draco asked in a bubbly tone. He stared at his hands like they were somewhat interesting to look at. He missed the feeling of Harry's warm hand touching his. It just felt so right, so soft, so wanted to be his.

"I'm sure Lunch is nearly over, we should head back," Harry said in an almost shy tone of voice. He didn't really know what else to say and his cheeks were feeling as if he stood out in the sun too much, just without the painful sunburn.

Draco nodded and looked back at the Gryffindor with a smile. "Yeah," he said, thinking about getting lunch with Harry in a different way. If only wishes came true, then that would be incredible! "We should."

Harry got up and grabbed his broom from the side of him, ready to head back to the castle. "Why don't I fly us back to the castle?" he suggested as the thought of having Draco closer to him made him feel all warm and tingly. "It will be much quicker; I need to put my broom away anyway."

"Sure!" Draco then thought of something...he would be on the back of Harry's broom, right up next to his bottom along with almost hugging him, even though he wouldn't mind the hugging bit. It was just the thought of being close to Harry's tight-looking ass made him almost harden. He was about to refuse but Harry had already mounted his broom and held out his hand. Draco smiled up at Harry levitating in the air, grabbed his hand and mounted on Harry's broom.

Harry helped Draco onto his broom whilst feeling the Slytherin's body up against his own. He liked the feel of another guy's body up against his own. He looked behind his shoulder at Draco, "You ready? I don't want you falling off."

"I'm ready!" Draco assured him, holding onto Harry's waist for balance. "Don't let go of me or I'll come back and haunt you from the grave, Harry." Harry gave a laugh at the Slytherin and what he told him. There's the Draco Malfoy he knows and... loves.

Harry froze when Draco held on to him tightly. It sent shivers down his back and tingles from where Draco was holding onto. "Alright. Hold on tight!"

Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Harry's stomach and leaned his head on Harry's shoulder, smelling the scent of Pine from the messy black hair. Such a beautiful scent. Before he knew it, he and Harry were soaring off towards the castle, hair blowing in the wind and holding onto Harry like his life depended on it, which it did.

It had taken only a minute of flying before they were both back at the castle. Harry landed them on top of the astronomy tower, he helped Draco off and dismounted his broom.

Draco was kind of glad to be back on the ground again, even if hugging Harry was the best part. He looked into green eyes and smiled sweetly, wishing this could have been a date. "Thanks for the ride, Harry."

"Um... you're welcome, Draco," Harry responded with a warm smile, thinking about doing this again sometime though it was Draco who came down to the pitch to watch him. He hoped that in the future Draco would come by and see him more or he can go find Draco if there aren't many people around. "It was great catching up with you."

Draco nodded, thinking the same as Harry. He really did love spending time with Harry as the boy is just completely amazing. "Yeah, it really was." He couldn't help but dreamily look at him, like he's staring at some angel. An angel which his green eyes shine in the sunshine, and hair, although messy, a beautiful black colour.

"Well, I'll see you later, Draco. Bye!" Harry said quickly as he knew Hermione would be wondering where he was. Ron's probably sleeping, knowing him. Or playing Wizards Chess with other Gryffindors so Ron wouldn't care where he was. Harry mounted his broom and levitated a few feet in the air.

Draco smiled and gave a little wriggle with his fingers as a goodbye, and it made Harry's cheeks glow with a little blush. "Bye, Harry and thanks again!" Harry gave his own wave goodbye and flew off down to the Quidditch locker rooms to get changed.

Draco watched as Harry flew away, still feeling the warmness of holding onto him. He really liked the hour he spent with Harry but wished for more time with the Gryffindor. He was fun, gentle, kind... He started to trail off into his train of thoughts with Harry on his mind as he began to head down for lunch in the Great Hall.

He saw Harry in the Great Hall after a few minutes, and he seemed just a little bit happier than he normally is. The Gryffindor was talking to Granger and Weasley, which Draco hasn't seen a lot of. It's nice to see Harry with his friends, smiling and... eating. He honestly hasn't seen Harry eating a lot which concerns him. Should it not concern him when his favourite Gryffindor's not eating as he should be?

Ivy caught her cousin eyeing Harry Potter, and she rolled her eyes with a smile. She couldn't have been prouder of her cousin than anyone else. "Have you finally found the courage to ask him out yet, Dray? You know Pansy and I are waiting."

"What's this about me?" Pansy asked, leaning towards the two with an eyebrow raised and a confused look on her face. She certainly hopes she isn't being gossiped about without her permission.

"Oh, you know," said Ivy, sighing at her cousin and poking him in the arm just to be annoying. "We're waiting on him to ask Harry out which unfortunately hasn't happened yet. What should we do? Leave it for himself or make up a little plan to get them both together?"

"I haven't asked him out yet because... I just don't know when to," Draco tells the girls, who look at him with bored and disappointed expressions on their faces. "You try talking to your crushes and asking them out. It's actually pretty nerve-wracking."

Pansy sighed, knowing Draco had a point. Her crush, who's in Gryffindor, probably won't ever talk to her at all. That's what she believes though. "I'll tell you what. I'll ask out Hermione if you ask out Harry. We don't have to do it at the same time, or even today. It will just be a promise to do in the future."

"That actually is a good idea," said Ivy with a nod in agreement, looking over at the Gryffindor table herself. She smiled at the girl with dirty blonde coloured hair and pink lips. Obviously, she was wearing lip balm. "What do you think about that, Draco? Are you up for it?"

Draco considered this for a moment. If he does do it, he won't do it alone. Pansy and Ivy will do it too but at different times. It can't be that hard, can it? "Alright. Deal." It seemed fair anyway. They all shook hands, agreeing with the deal.

*****

Halloween Night - Great Hall

It was exactly Halloween night and Harry walked into the Grand Hall with Hermione and Ron by his side, it seems like every house table had grown about two meters.

The trio made their way down to the Gryffindor table, finding a place to sit. Everyone was excited to meet the schools that would be attending for the Tournament. Everyone watched outside to see if they saw anything strange, and of course, Colin saw the Beauxbaton carriage dive down to the Hogwarts grounds from the sky and land gracefully.

Dumbledore got up and walked over to his golden owl podium and looked out at his pupils. Everyone in the Great Hall turned their attention back to their Headmaster. He began speaking about the schools that would be attending Hogwarts for the Tri-wizard tournament.

As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, a group of females and males in baby blue robes sprung out from the Entrance Hall and made their way into the Grand Hall whilst sitting down at the Ravenclaw table. Their abnormally tall Headmistress went up to talk to Dumbledore.

Draco caught Ivy eyeing all the girls from Beauxbatons which made him laugh a little. His lesbian cousin really had her dream come true, didn't she? More girls to watch and snog in the corridors. Merlin's beard... He would like to see Harry in one of those Beauxbatons male outfits though.

As soon as Madam Maxime and Dumbledore finished speaking, everyone heard a loud eerie noise coming from the lake. The Durmstrang school had arrived. Everyone watched the silhouettes from the ship make their way into the castle and in a matter of seconds, the headmaster of Durmstrang walked into the Great Hall to greet Dumbledore. Behind the Durmstrang headmaster, his pupils walked in an orderly fashion behind him.

Surprisingly, Viktor Krum made an appearance with the Durmstrang boys. Ron couldn't believe his eyes that the Viktor Krum has come to Hogwarts, it devastated Ron even more, as Viktor decided to sit with the Slytherins.

Draco was surprised at the Durmstrang students for sitting at the Slytherin table. It was exciting because Viktor Krum was there too, the legendary Quidditch Star.

Ivy didn't seem to notice the boys at all. She actually looked disappointed that the Beaubaton students didn't sit at the Slytherin table and sat with the Ravenclaws instead. Pansy seemed to not care at all. Her eyes were directed at the Gryffindor table.

After introducing the schools attending Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Dumbledore called upon the feast and everybody dug in.

Harry searched the tables for something to eat, he wasn't really feeling hungry at all, but he grabbed a bowl of nachos and sat back down. He looked at his food, it made him feel a little sick, but he took a small bite out of a Dorito covered in salsa and sour cream. It displeasingly tasted like ashes.

Ron grabbed Harry's arm as he wanted the food Harry had obtained. Unfortunately, he was also touching Harry's cuts but didn't know that. "I wanted nachos!"

Hermione was eating her bowl of curry in peace, she looked up at her best friends 'fighting' over food. She couldn't believe how childish Ron was acting. "Ron!" she hissed. "Harry had the nachos first; you can't just take it off of him. Besides, there's probably another bowl somewhere."

Harry flinched from the sudden pain in his arms and pulled his arm out of Ron's grip. "It's fine, Hermione," he muttered, pushing the bowl of Nachos over to Ron. "Whatever Ron, you can have it." His eyes trailed up at a certain blonde Slytherin behind Ron. Harry noticed the blonde had been staring at him for who knows how long. Harry and Draco Malfoy both met eye contact, blushed, and looked away.

"Yay!" Ron said in a quiet voice just so he doesn't gain attention and began eating hungrily at Harry's nachos with a grin on his face. What? He's just a very hungry bloke.

Harry rolled his eyes at his friend and grabbed a slice of Lasagna, taking little bites from it even though he was feeling a little sick from it. He's just waiting for that unpleasant feeling of needing to rush to the bathroom to throw up. Oh, he knows the feeling will come very soon.

The three could hear Fred and George planning some of their mischiefs which they knew it was about the age line and trying to get in. Hermione kept interrogating the two twins into why they would do such a thing and that they'd never be able to actually cross the age line. But of course, the twins ignored Hermione and kept plotting.

There were different types of food on the plates, such as macaroons from France, Russian foods, and of course, normal English food in case nobody likes international foods. This startled Harry, he never got to eat meals this big at the Dursleys because they always underfed him. However, he didn't really eat much since he was used to small meals. Even after eating little meals or just looking at them, Harry felt sick to his stomach.

After the feast, Harry, Ron, and Hermione retreated to the Gryffindor common room for the evening since classes start the next day. However, Harry turned to go straight to the boy's toilet, leaving a confused Ron and Hermione alone. Hermione wanted to ask where her best friend had run off to but turned her attention back to Ron who was heading back to the Gryffindor Common Room. She followed her ginger-haired friend, feeling a little concerned for her raven-haired friend.

Harry rushed off in the direction he knew so well, passed Nearly Headless Nick floating by a tapestry and went into the boy's bathroom. He rushed into a bathroom stall, locking the door behind him, and leaned over the toilet bowl and emptied out the food from his stomach.

He wiped his mouth with some toilet paper and dropped it in the bowl. He felt so disgusted, he needed to cut but his blade was packed away in his trunk up in Gryffindor Tower. He scratched at his arms, feeling a little better but he knew he needed more than just scratches.

Harry wiped his mouth over with some more toilet paper, dropped it in the bowl and flushed the toilet. Watching the remains of what was inside his stomach flush away. He sighed miserably, unlocked the stall door, and headed over to the sinks. He still had the disgusting taste of vomit in his mouth.

He turned on one of the taps, held his mouth to the hole and gathered some water in his mouth. He swished the water inside his mouth, gargled it and spat it back out into the sink. He repeated the process but swallowed the water so at least anything in his throat could go back down. He reached for his wand in his robe pocket and spelled his teeth and mouth clean so he wouldn't get vomit breath. He then proceeded to head up to Gryffindor Tower, he needed to relax and what better way to do that was by reading. But then again, he wanted to punish himself.

He stared at the cupboard containing his metal friend in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He opened the cupboard up and grabbed the tin containing his best metal friend. Spelling it open, he grabbed the blade and rolled up his sleeve. He looked at the pink cuts on his arm and the previous cuts he made that now are scars. Without hesitation, he sliced at his arm hard and watched the blood form in the slit he made. It was beautiful, he thought. And so, he made four more cuts, each deeper than the other until he made his final and deepest cut.

He stared at his arm, mesmerized, watching the blood drip down his arms into the sink. As a good five minutes of watching the blood on his arm like the red substance was rain droplets, he cleaned the blood off his arm, dried it and headed to his dormitory for the night.

He sat down on his bed and hugged his knees to his chest. With a flick of his wand, the drapes around his bed shut, engulfing him in the slight darkness. He tucked himself under the bedsheets and before his head touched the pillow, he fell into a restless sleep.

*****

Harry slowly made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast even though he wasn't hungry. He sat next to Hermione and Ron at the Gryffindor table facing the Slytherin table. The first person he laid eye contact on was Draco who was eating muesli with Yoghurt. Harry faked a smile at him, and Draco smiled and winked back. Damn that wink, it got Harry good and made the blood rush to his cheeks, forming a blush. He grabbed a bowl of warm porridge which smelt of honey and almonds and started eating it slowly. The good thing about this morning was that he actually was feeling hungry and that made him kind of glad. He hates vomiting up his food, even if he knows he deserves it, but he hopes he won't be vomiting again.

"Harry, who're you looking at?" asked a curious Hermione Granger, drinking a mug of warm of pumpkin juice. She was glancing around the Great Hall to where Harry was looking but didn't see anyone looking back at Harry or herself.

"Nobody, Hermione," Harry replied while trying not to sound sad as he looked down at his empty plate. He did, however, have a small blush that travelled from his neck and up to his face from being caught staring. He is just glad she doesn't know who he was looking at.

"Hmm..." Hermione sounded a little sceptical about what Harry's told her. "Alright." She looked over to where Harry was staring at and saw Malfoy swiftly look down at his plate. She gave Malfoy a questioning look, before taking another sip of her pumpkin juice.

Harry watched dazedly as owls started filling the Great Hall and swooping down to deliver the mail. He watched Draco's eagle owl land on his shoulder carrying a bag of sweets. What a graceful owl. He pondered how it got tamed to do that. He saw his familiar snowy white owl land on the Gryffindor table in front of him, blocking out the view of Draco. He sighed and grabbed the letter from Hedwig, wishing he could look at Draco again.

Harry. Meet at Willow Tree during Lunch?

Harry's fake smile grew at the letter from Draco. He scrunched up the letter before anyone else could see, looked over at Draco and nodded with a small smile.

Draco smiled, nodded back, and continued eating his breakfast. He just wished he could go over and have breakfast with Harry or for Harry to come over and sit with him.

Harry patted Hedwig for the rest of breakfast and wondered what Draco would show him at lunch. He didn't eat anything else as he believed nothing could fit in his stomach at the moment. 

*****

Harry made his way to the back of the greenhouses; he really had no idea there was a Willow tree behind them. As he passed the 3 long greenhouses, he saw the Willow tree and it was huge. It was the size of the Whomping Willow, just without the whomping branches. It was just a normal Willow tree, standing alone on the Hogwarts grounds. Although Harry had thought that Draco would already be there, the stump of the Willow tree looked wide enough to be able to hide four people inside it.

Harry walked up to the Willow Tree and felt its leaves. It was beautiful, like green gems hanging from thin bits of string. He pushed his way through the hanging leaves of the Willow, he walked back and looked up at where the leaves would end. He felt something hard bump against his back. Harry turned around to come face-to-face with a smiling Draco Malfoy.

"Hi!"

Harry felt his cheeks redden a bit and smiled back at the Slytherin. What a greeting it is to come face-to-face with the person who makes your insides flutter and heart hammer in your chest. "Hello, Draco."

Draco looked down at the stump of the Willow and sat down facing Harry with his legs stretched forward. He was wondering what secret place he should show Harry today. Or places.

Harry couldn't help but wonder if he was late or something. Draco did say in his letter to meet at Lunch at this Willow Tree and it is technically lunch. "How long have you been waiting?" He had to ask as he just had to know.

"About an hour," Draco said with a mischievous little grin. He saw the hurt look on Harry's face and chuckled at him. He felt just a little guilty for playing with him then. "I'm only joking, I just got here."

Harry sighed with relief, but he didn't know if he should be mad at the Slytherin for 'lying' to him or not. "So, Draco," he said as he wanted to see these secret places already. These secret places can be only his and Draco's. Nobody else's. "What were you thinking of showing me today?"

Draco patted the empty patch of grass beside him for Harry to sit down. "I was thinking of showing you the place in the library today if that's okay with you," he told him, and smiled as Harry joined him on the ground. He rested his elbow on Harry's shoulder just so he's a little closer to the other male.

Harry wrapped his arms around his legs and nodded at the floor. He didn't mind what Draco was doing. All it did to him was make him feel all warm inside and he wants to be closer. "Yeah, it's fine with me," he said coolly as he looked up beside him and met with warm silver eyes. "So, when do we go?"

Draco rolled his eyes playfully at the impatient Gryffindor and shook his head. "You're so impatient, Harry," he said with a small smile. He was only teasing, which he enjoys doing.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Harry said truthfully and giving the Slytherin a little poke in the arm. He then got lost in his train of thoughts as he stared at a ladybug crawling around on a single piece of grass. Just by being with the blonde Slytherin, his heart takes a leap, and he feels so light and excited. Draco is just so beautiful with brilliant bright pretty silver eyes, soft-looking perfect whitish blonde hair that shined in the sunlight and such a handsome face. Oh, Harry could just go on about how amazing and attractive the Slytherin wizard is.

There was just something about Draco that Harry felt he was able to have a conversation to him about anything. He didn't know if he could talk about his depression and the abuse, he gets from the Dursleys. It was just so overwhelming but the Slytherin wizard gave him some kind of ...vibe...

Draco studied Harry; he could tell he was deep in thought. He watched as a strand of his raven hair fell from his face. He so wanted to just push it back and feel Harry's hair, it looks so soft even if it looks like a birds nest every day. But it's a cute bird's nest. "I can tell you're thinking about something."

"Hm?" Harry looked back up at Draco into his Silvery eyes. He didn't hear what the Slytherin said to him, only about thinking which is exactly what he was doing. Merlin, how dangerous it would be if Draco could see his thoughts.

Draco chuckled at the reply and stared back into those emerald green eyes he really likes. "What are you thinking about?" he repeats himself as he pondered what goes in that beautiful mind of Harry's.

Harry shrugged slightly and tried to hide the panic of Draco finding out about what he goes through with a fake smile and he rubs at his throat. "Oh," he said, not expecting this question at all. "Um... just life in general..."

Draco nodded. He wasn't sure if he should have believed Harry because he could see the slight panic in his eyes. He knows from Ivy that rubbing at the neck can mean they're panicking too. Same with shallow breathing, hyperventilating and squeezing the eyes shut. What is Harry keeping to himself? He stared blankly at the Willow tree's leaves in front of him, "Did you know when it's raining, Willow tree's look like their crying because the water drops off each elongated branch?" That was a random thing to say but he decided to change the topic for Harry.

Harry shook his head but was glad the subject was changed. He sighed in relief, the panic in his chest reducing. He really didn't know that about a Willow tree. It was interesting, learning something new. Especially, from someone you really like. It was like being in school learning something new, but with a beautiful young teacher. "I didn't know that." He shook his head slightly, watching a ladybug walk up and down a grass strand. "It's interesting what trees can hold, like secrets of the past."

"Exactly!" Draco looked back into Harry's green eyes which were staring at a patch of grass. He smiled and trailed his eyes down to Harry's cheeks which look so soft and kissable. He just wanted to run his fingers down Harry's cheek to feel the softness and warmness of them and to kiss them.

Harry glanced up at Draco, noticing he was staring at himself. He watched as the blonde formed small pink tinges in his cheeks and looked away. Harry tried to hold down a smile, just seeing the pink tinge was adorable. "So, are we going to head down to the library? I'd love to see this secret place."

Without consciously knowing, Draco touched Harry's hand. He could have squirmed but had the mind not to. Both boys shared a sharp intake of breath at the sudden gesture. "Sorry," he muttered, his cheeks becoming redder as he removed his hand from Harry's.

Harry shook his head at him. Draco really shouldn't be apologizing at all; it was just a little innocent motion. He got himself up off the floor and held out his hand for Draco. The Slytherin smiled and grabbed a hold of Harry's hand gently.

Harry helped him up off the floor, smiling. He felt like he was holding the Slytherin's hand and he really liked it. He wished he was holding Draco's hand, and walking down the corridors of Hogwarts to let everyone know.... they weren't anything. He can't get his hopes up like that. "Let's go see this secret room."

"Follow me then," Draco answered with an excited sigh and a wide grin. He led Harry out from under the Willow tree, past the three greenhouses and back into the castle. They just walked through the corridors silently until Draco broke the silence. He wanted to know a bit more about Harry, so he asked, "What's your opinion of LGBTQ+, Harry?"

Harry looked at Draco in surprise, he didn't think Draco would know of the muggle sexuality group. Unless it has come to the Wizarding world at some point... "My opinion would be that Love is Love," he told him like he has nothing to keep to himself about his own sexuality. "It doesn't matter whether you're lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer. As long as you love whoever you want and be happy."

Draco nodded, he sighed in relief knowing Harry supports it. It'd be a shame if he didn't, or if he wasn't into guys. It would mean he wasn't free for him. "What are you, then?"

Harry raised his eyebrow, wondering what Draco meant by that. "What do you mean, what am I?" he asked in a bubbly tone.

Draco chuckled; wondering if Harry is just playing with him or if he was this oblivious. He wouldn't mind if Harry really is oblivious. He's cute that way. "As in what are you in the LGBTQ+ group?"

Harry was thinking about what Draco had asked him. He prefers guys more than girls, obviously. Being with a guy feels more natural and incredible though he knows that girls are pretty. He just prefers guys with their bodies, personality, and attraction. It just makes sense to be with a guy. "I would say bisexual, but I lean towards guys a lot more. How about you?"

"I'm fully into guys. So, I'm gay," Draco replied automatically. He was smiling brightly as he knew he could have a chance with Harry. He just had to find out if Harry liked him back which was the number one question he had to ask.

Harry's eyes widened a little in surprise, but he knew Draco had a liking towards guys as Blaise told him something similar a week or two ago "That's lovely, Draco," he says. Why the bloody hell did he say, 'That's lovely'? What's wrong with him. Oh, he knows. Everything is wrong with him. "But, what about Ivy?" He had to make sure again just in case he had been lied to.

"No, she's my cousin," Draco says with a shake of his head and a sneer directed at the thought of dating a girl. Girls were just... No. Guys, however... they were beautiful, stunning, handsome, and sexy. They have rock hard rippling abbs, tight arses, pleasurable cocks, irresistible curves, and edges. Oh, he could go on forever. Even if Harry doesn't have abbs, he's still a very sexy and attractive guy.

Harry nodded and wondered who a stunning guy like Draco could be into. Would it have to be someone who has the same fortune as him? A Slytherin? Would he care what house the guy would be in? "Are you into anyone, Draco Malfoy?"

Draco smiled warmly at Harry; he didn't know how to reply to that. Should he nod or shake his head? Should he lie and say it was someone like...Blaise? Even though that'd be hilarious. "I do", he said quickly, and nods with pride.

"Oh, really?" Harry asked with a mixture of curiosity and wonder. Is there a certain type that this Slytherin likes? Or is it many types like Emo's, classy, or jock? "May I ask for some details?"

"All I'm going to say is that he really likes Quidditch and has two main best friends", Draco said, watching as the library's giant door came into view but also looking at Harry's reaction. The Gryffindor was just staring at the floor as they neared the library. "But...he gained a new best friend a couple of weeks ago," he added and as a strand of hair fell into his face, he pushed it back.

"Draaaco!", Harry said with a prolonged 'a'. He wanted to hear more about this person so he can hate and loathe them. Oh, and ignore them for the rest of his life. Oh, how it would it be a dream to have Draco like him back. "That could be anyone! Are you not going to tell me about his appearance?"

Draco blushed as he checked Harry out and admired everything about this Gryffindor. He can't literally tell him he has fluffy black hair, has green eyes, is a Gryffindor and has a firebolt now, can he? He laughed on the inside at how Harry would react when hearing him admit all that. "Anyway, we're here now," he said as he entered through the wooden library doors with Harry by his side.

They passed the many bookshelves of the library, a few students studying and a few of them were glancing at them with curious looks, until they got to the middle of the library. Draco winked at Harry and took a left, walking in between two large bookshelves filled with books until he got to the bookcase at the end. Harry looked around the Library, trying to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks from Draco, and saw Hermione reading at a table alone. Like Hermione knew someone was watching her she glanced up at Harry and waved at him to come over to her. 

Harry felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him towards an old looking bookcase filled with many old-fashioned books dating back to Merlin's time. He hopes that little scene wasn't too suspicious for Hermione. But right now, he just couldn't believe his eyes at what he was seeing. "Wow!" he whispered in absolute awe. He still felt Draco's hand on his wrist but didn't mind, it felt warm and cozy and was really calming. Draco grabbed a big black leathered book with a white rose icon underneath the title, 'Book of secrets' and pulled it down.

The bookcase shook and opened like double doors, forming a tunnel that leads into the dark. Harry and Draco followed the dark tunnel, but as they entered wall torches began to light up with yellow hot flames and made it easier to see. They heard movement behind them and watched as the bookcase closed like nothing happened. Harry began to worry, asking himself if they would be able to escape or not.

Draco noticed Harry's fear, nudged him in the arm and pointed to a single wall torch with no flame. "That's how you exit," he said clearly, smiling at Harry's confused but relieved expression on that adorable face of his. "Just pull the torch down and it will trigger the bookshelf to open back up."

"Oh," said Harry, not really surprised at all. This is Hogwarts, a place with hidden secrets all throughout the castle. He wonders how many other places he could find just by pulling a wall torch down. "I understand why you would come here. "You're the only one who knows about this place, right?"

"Yeah! It's a great place to hide from people and be alone," Draco answered, nodding at Harry's question but he couldn't help but sound relieved that Harry now knew of this place. It was nice having someone know of your own secret places. He knows he could have told his friends or Ivy but sometimes even he needs time away from them. But what bothered him was if Harry would keep it a secret or not. "I sometimes come down here to study or complete homework."

Harry began to feel a little guilty because this was Draco's place, a place only he knows about and he's letting someone else know about it. "So, what's at the end?" he asked, a little curious. Hogwarts surprises him a lot now with these secrets he never knew about. "I only see an oak door."

"Behind the door is a room which has furniture and a couple more bookshelves but smaller than the ones in the library," Draco told him, smiling as he's glad to have Harry around him more than other days. He will cherish these days he spends with Harry as they're very special to him. "It's just like another library but smaller."

"Oh!" Harry said, staring at the Oak door, becoming more intrigued at the thought of what those books in this secret room contain. They could hold the world's secrets, or parchments from the olden times when Archimedes was around. Or even Egyptian secrets like how they mummified their dead. Or these books could tell him about Atlantis, the hidden and sunken city in the sea and if it really was a city which people lived on. "Shall we enter then?"

Draco let go of Harry's wrist with a smile and a faint blush to his cheeks, even though he wanted to cling to it because of how warm it was. He forgot he was holding onto him, he just felt so nice and warm.

They wandered down the torch-lit tunnel, stealing glances at one another as they neared the oak door. Draco opened up the door without hesitation, revealing a large 6m by 6m torch-lit room with grey walls, three small wooden bookshelves with carvings of flowers on it, a large cream-coloured stone fireplace, two large enchanted windows with black curtains, a wooden antique table with a few books on them, a large brown wooden dressing table with a circular mirror with drawers, two-midnight blue armchairs with black linings and a couch with the same colours.

Draco pointed his wand at the fireplace and immediately the room warmed up as flames flared into life.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight before him. It was such an amazing little room, but even he wouldn't have shared this place with Ron and Hermione because he knew that alone time was the best time in the world. Well, sometimes it was. "This is amazing, Draco!" he said, raising his eyebrows at the room he was in. Everything was so vintage but not 60s style vintage. It was just old like hundreds of years old. "Did you ever tell me how you found this place?" Maybe this place could be a better place for when he needs to...cut. No, that'd be dangerous. Draco could walk in on him anytime and see what he does to myself.

"Apparently not," Draco said with a satisfied smile. He's just never thought of showing anyone this place at all. "My mother told me about this place, she's been in this very room before. She's never told father about this place though, it's a Black family secret. She found this place with her sister Andromeda in her fifth year. They never told my Aunt Bellatrix, I guess they knew how cunning and evil she was or something."

Harry nodded and walked over to the enchanted window. He was looking out at a deep forest, but it wasn't the forbidden forest. It was a pretty forest with different tall evergreen trees and bushes. He's even seeing a few animals hop, slither, and pounce among the trees in the distance. "Do you see a forest or is it only what you want to see in the window?"

Draco walked up beside Harry and looked through the window, he saw a beautiful forest filled with tons of shades of greens and a few animals too. But the person standing right next to him has his favourite shade of green in their warm but dull eyes. "I see the forest too, so no," he said, he couldn't ever stop looking into those green eyes that make something within him flutter whenever those eyes look back at him. "Unless we share the same mind, but I doubt that."

Harry chuckled at that last thing Draco said and watched as a white fluffy bunny bounced around a tree sniffing around. He also saw a boa constrictor up in the tree watching the bunny. He quickly backed away, scared of what might happen. "Can I erm... sit?" he asked, pointing to the couch. He didn't want to see the bunny get killed in front of his eyes.

"Be my guest!" Draco said with a polite smile that he hoped would shine brightly through Harry's world. Secretly, it did give Harry a little bit of hope and sunshine in his life. "You don't have to ask, you know?"

Harry flushed and sat down on the midnight blue couch which he sank deeply in the chair, not knowing how comfy it was exactly. He just felt like he was falling through clouds or cotton candy at how soft the couch was. What are these couches pillows actually made of? Actual clouds or cotton balls?

Draco walked over and sat beside Harry with his legs crossed and his elbow leaning on the top of the couches back while he looked into Harry's emerald green eyes. "Since we're alone down here with nothing but books, did want to play a game?"

Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion but also in interest. What game could they play since he didn't see any Wizards Chess or Exploding Snap cards at all in this room? "What game do you have in mind?"

Draco sighed as he did not really have or know of any games. Well, except for truth or dare but honestly, he would be wanting to just say 'I dare you to kiss me'. "I honestly don't know. Know any games?"

"I know a few but they're muggle games," Harry said, biting his lip at the way Draco was looking at him. Honestly, he could just stay here all afternoon and have those pretty silver eyes staring at him and that handsome face so close to him. It was just him and Draco, alone in this room like nothing else in the world mattered. "Truth or Dare, spin the bottle, Kiss, Marry or Kill, and Never have I ever."

Draco rested his right leg on top of his left leg. Of course, Truth or Dare is one of the games Harry knows. He decided to just play it cool, and ask about those games, even though he didn't know what Never Have I ever Was, or spin the bottle, or that Kiss, Marry, and kill one. He just wanted to hear Harry talk some more, so he could listen to the sweet voice. "Tell me more about these games."

"Uh... Truth or Dare is when you ask someone a question," Harry said and the number of questions he would like to ask Draco popped into his head. "Daring someone means they have to do it and Truth means you ask a question about them and they can't lie."

Draco bit his lip, thinking about all these questions he could ask Harry. Even if they weren't innocent. But kissing Harry, that would be the best dare ever and he would do it in a second. But he wanted to hear about these other muggle games. "And the other games?"

"Never have I ever is a game where you have to say something that they haven't done," Harry told him. He wondered what Draco has done and never has done. "For example, 'Never have I ever broken something at a friend's house and not told them.' If you have broken something at a friend's house and did not tell your friend, then you lose a point. Then the next person says something they haven't done."

"There are two ways you can play spin the bottle," Harry explained but thought of the most common way to play it. Especially with Draco. "It's basically a game with a group of people and you place an empty bottle in the middle of the group. You spin it and whoever the bottle faces you must kiss them. The other way is when the bottle faces you, you must do a dare from the person who spun it. And Kiss, Marry, or kill is when someone gives you three names and you have to choose to kiss one of them, marry the other, and kill the last. For example, if you gave me Ron, Hermione, and Ms Norris as the three names. I would say..." God this is tough. "I would Marry Hermione, Kiss Ron, and kill Ms Norris."

Draco nodded as he was understanding what to do and what he could say for these games. He completely ignored the Weasel and Granger in that sentence but why couldn't Harry have chosen either Blaise or Pansy to be in that sentence. Those two were honestly better than Granger and Weasel. "Okay," he said, and he agreed with Harry to kill the cat. It was bloody disturbing and annoying. "You want to choose which game to play?"

"We should see what the time is first," Harry suggested even though he would like to skip class just so he can be with Draco more. He cast a quick "Tempus!" just to check out the time. "Don't want to be accidentally late to class."

"Merlin's Beard!" Draco looked at the shining gold numbers that floated out from Harry's wand in shock. "Five minutes to go until class!" He quickly hurried over to the Oak door, ready to exit and go to class. He just wished he had classes with Harry. "We better hurry..."

Harry sighed sadly, not wanting to leave at all and got up off the couch to join Draco at the door. "Damn," he said, disappointed with time and how fast it goes. "I was enjoying spending lunch with you."

Draco smiled as he agreed with Harry, he didn't want to leave the Gryffindor at all as he was having so much fun. "Same here! I enjoyed every minute of the hour with you." He walked over to the oak door and waited until Harry had exited the room, he closed the door behind him.

"Shame," Harry said and looked at Draco who was walking beside him. "I like discovering new places."

"I like showing them to you," Draco said quietly with a smile at Harry. He stopped at the unlit wall torch and pushed it down. The wall opened like double doors; the opened bookshelf came into view. Both boys quickly exited the tunnel and entered the library.

Harry stopped as he was back in the lightened library and turned to Draco. Sadly, he has Divination which he knows his death will be predicted and he's not too happy about that. "I have Divination now. What about you?"

Draco looked into Harry's sparkling green eyes, actually wishing he had divination so he can have it with Harry. It may be a biased subject, but he enjoys it when learning about the stars and what they mean in terms of Divination. "Ancient Runes."

Harry wished more than anything to spend the rest of the day with Draco, even if Ancient Runes sounded boring. But maybe overviewing a new subject was good. It would give him details to what Draco learns about. "Well, it's time to have my death predicted again."

"Wait, what?" Draco asked at once at the shocking news he heard come out of Harry's beautiful mouth. He never knew this about Harry, or that anyone would have their death predicted. "Death prediction?"

"Mhm," Harry said and nodded sadly. He would have chosen a different subject, but all the rest seem like hard subjects. Especially Arithmancy, whatever it is about. Just the name gives him 'you must have a big brain to do this subject' vibes. "All thanks to Professor Trelawny."

Draco crossed his arms and placed a finger to his lip; wondering is the Hogwarts seer actually has successful predictions. He just hopes not, for the sake of Harry's life. It'd break his heart if Harry somehow died by the Professor's prediction. "I wonder if some of the professor's predictions come true?" he asked just to get the disturbing thought out of his head.

"I don't think so," Harry said and shuddered at the thought of having his death predictions come true. Although, he has always wondered what it would be like to die. If there was an afterlife if hell exists or if there's nothing after death? Or if he could see his parents... "Anyway, I need to go to class. Goodbye, Draco."

"Oh, okay," Draco said and gave Harry a little wave goodbye. He hopes to see Harry soon. Maybe in a few hours. "Bye, Harry!"

Harry gave Draco a small smile and turned to leave the library, hoping he wasn't late to class even if he didn't really mind. Draco watched Harry leave before turning away with a smile and heading to Ancient Runes.

*****

It had been exactly a few days from when Dumbledore stated the Twi-wizard Tournament would come to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry waited for Hermione to enter the Great Hall so they could eat for dinner and find out who the contestants were for the Tr-Wizard.

"Where is she, I'm hungry!" Ron said a little impatiently as he was staring at the food hungrily like they would grow legs and come marching to his dinner plate. If only that were a real thing.

"She'll be here soon, I'm counting on it," Harry assured him reluctantly, looking up at the Slytherin table for what felt like the millionth time in the week. He spotted Draco, Blaise, Ivy, and Pansy together and they seemed to be chatting deeply about something. Draco was looking down at the table but was smiling at nothing and had a deep red tinge to his cheeks. It was obvious to Harry that he was blushing but why? Were those four Slytherin's talking about someone Draco likes? He knows that Draco's got a crush on a guy who's in Gryffindor and likes Quidditch. But every guy in Gryffindor likes Quidditch. He wished he had more answers about who Draco liked.

All new types of dishes were served such as Bulgarian Shopska Salad, Tripe soup, Stuffed peppers, and French Boeuf Bourguignon, Potatoes Dauphinoise, Cassoulet and Cherry Clafoutis. 

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like being in the Tri-wizard tournament?" Ron asked suddenly, trying to distract himself from the food on the table as some looked a little gross to eat while the others looked interesting and delicious. He just didn't know what to eat.

"Yeah," Harry said with a little sigh and watched as a lightning bolt struck in the stormy clouds outside the giant arched windows. "I've been thinking about it, I guess I am excited about it, even though there won't be any Quidditch practice." He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the rain pattering on the windows. It was so calming, soothing but as he focused his mind on it the thought of Draco popped in his head.

"Yeah, it's dinner time now," Ron said, staring in the middle of the hall with all of his attention. He was excited to find out who will be competing in the Tournament. "Time to see who's competing in the Tri-Wizard championship."

"Alright, quiet down, quiet down. Thank you. Now, it's time to find out who our Tri-Wizard champions would be," Dumbledore said as he quickly walked over to the Goblet wearing light blue robes.

In a couple of seconds, the goblet spat out the first name. "Viktor Krum, Durmstrang," Dumbledore yelled so he could be heard over the chattering and cheering students. "Yes, very good. Off you go down to the Trophy room, please."

Another minute hit as the second name flew out of the goblet. "Fleur Delacour, Beaxbaton," Dumbledore called out. A loud applaud was coming from all over the Grand Hall.

"Down to the Trophy room you go, as well," Dumbledore said. Last, but not least, the third and final contestants name was called out. "Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts," Dumbledore called out. A louder applaud was heard from all over the Grand Hall, even the Professors were clapping. "Good job, Cedric," Dumbledore said as he patted Cedric on the back. "Now, that includes the Tri-Wizard-"

The Goblet of fire had heated up again, spitting out one last name. Dumbledore caught the name and read it out loud. "Harry Potter."

There was silence throughout the Great Hall, deafening silence. Harry couldn't believe what was happening. He felt every head in the Great Hall turn to look at him. He stared at the piece of paper Dumbledore held that had his own name written on it in disbelief. He did no such thing. He never touched the goblet or stepped into the ring. He couldn't.

Hermione, who came out of nowhere, nudged Harry's shoulder to gesture that he should get up and go to the Trophy room with the other contestants. Harry sat there frozen, wishing today never happened at all. Oh, Merlin. This cannot be happening, especially to himself. He felt a panic attack start to arise.

Dumbledore called out his name again but with more vehemence, "HARRY POTTER!"

Harry stood up and quickly walked over to the Trophy Room, ignoring all the stares and the quietly whispering to each other. This was just great. He felt his social anxiety increase and that panic attack actually start happening, but he continued breathing deeply to try stopping the possible panic attack.

Ron stared at Harry's leaving figure in disbelief, looking like he could murder him just by glaring. He couldn't believe his best mate would do this, even if he had a feeling that Harry did no such thing. But it happened. Hermione also stared at Harry, looking for a sign of innocence among his eyes.

Harry joined the other contestants, and they couldn't believe that a 14-year-old got into Dumbledore's age line, but truthfully, Harry did no such thing.

Harry backed up against a table as Dumbledore came rushing up to him and asked him if he put his name in the Goblet of fire. He felt a sense of Deja vu come over him. He felt as if he was back at 4 Privet Drive and was about to get punished by Uncle Vernon. Harry felt a panic attack start to happen, feeling as if he's going to have another flashback. "No sir, I did no such thing."

"He couldn't have, Albus," said Professor McGonagall. She knew none of her students or Professor Flitwick's students at any age knew any spells that difficult. "He would not know of any spells that advanced. Not even any 6th years know these kinds of spells."

"But perhaps Potter's asked an older student to put his name in the Goblet for him," Snape implied in his cold monotoned voice, knowing Mr Potter would do anything to gain attention.

Harry looked at from one Professor to the next worriedly. He hoped his Professor's believed him because he didn't put his name in the bloody Goblet. He doesn't even know how this happened in the first place.

The Professors all turned to look at Harry with expressions of worry and disbelief. "Harry, did you ask an older student to put your name in the Goblet?" Dumbledore asked him.

Harry shook his head again, not understanding why his life must be so damned hard and full of bias. "No, sir," he spoke the truth. He doesn't like lying even if sometimes it's worth it. "I would never."

"Perhaps someone did place his name in the Goblet, but didn't ask for Potter's consent first," Snape suggested with a scowl, knowing Potter somehow got himself into this. He just needed to find out how.

"Severus, what are you implying?" McGonagall asked the Slytherin Head of House curiously, knowing the man likes to indulge further in inquiries.

"Are you suggesting that we have a murderer in the grounds?" Dumbledore asked them, though he showed no fear or worry. He was quite calm like he could break all the magical barriers of Hogwarts to find this intruder in under a minute.

"It may very well be true, Albus," Snape replied candidly, his expression still blank and emotionless.

Fleur couldn't believe what she was hearing. How can a young boy get into the age line? She was so confused. Was this all a prank? "Are you kidding me? 'ow can a boy pazz zhe age line?!"

"I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do about it," Professor McGonagall said to the French witch, knowing there really is nothing she or the other professors can do except let Harry compete in this Tournament.

"But he'z juzt a boy!" Fleur said sharply. She couldn't believe it. This school would let an innocent young boy into such a dangerous Tournament with three other older competitors. What if he gets hurt or worse? Killed!

"You may go, Harry," Professor McGonagall said to him, but in her not so strict tone of voice. After all, this was a serious problem at hand. "We'll find who did this to you."

Before Harry could leave, Cedric came and stood directly in front of him with a half-smile. "Hello, Harry," he said awkwardly, and it seemed he had something on his mind to say. "I guess we're both competing then. How did you do it?"

"I didn't! You know I can't get past the age line, it's impossible! You have to believe me!" Harry told him truthfully, feeling as if the friendship he gained with Cedric was slipping away. Why does nobody believe him? He's just a youngling after all.

Cedric sighed and looked at the ground. Clearly, he doesn't believe Harry at all. "I-, um... Goodnight, Harry," he said and walked off, out of the trophy room to join the Hufflepuff table again.

Harry watched as Cedric left, really feeling as if the friendship was slipping away slowly. He sighed sadly and made his way back up to the Grand Hall. Cedric didn't believe him. That's all he thought. Throughout the months getting to know this boy, he actually accepted the friendship. It was nice having someone to talk to, just not about his mental health problems. There's so much pressure on Harry, he could easily injure himself or worse, die from these tasks.

Harry rushed to the Gryffindor common room so he could have some peace and quiet, get over his social anxiety, and try to calm down and go to sleep. However, Harry knew there was only one way to stop this anxiety from increasing. This was from his sharp metal friend, his only friend that he has when he feels in need to use it.

Harry quickly made his way into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and cast a few privacy wards around him. He walked over to the cabinet and opened it up, finding his mint tin containing his metal friend. Harry spelled the tin open, tipped it upside down and let the thin blade fall onto his hands.

Harry stared at the blade, remembering the last time he used it. Merlin, that was a rough day. But every day's a rough day for him. Harry rolled up his sleeve past his elbow and took in the last scars he had made previously during the Holidays. He lowered the blade down to his arm and felt the tingle of the sharp cold blade. Without consciously making a decision, he sliced the blade across his skin. He hissed in pain but felt overwhelmed as the sudden feeling of anxiety had disappeared from inside him.

Harry watched as his blood formed a straight line in the cut and ran down his arms. He liked the look of his crimson blood on his white bare arm, so he sliced the blade across his arm 4 more times, making 5 cuts in total.

Harry washed off his blade under the icy cold water from the taps and put it back in his mint tin, spelling it shut. He washed off his arm, watching as the sink turned a light red as his blood ran down his arms into the sink. Once he finished washing off his arm, he rolled down his sleeve and placed the mint tin back in the cupboard and closed it. He walked back down to the Common Room and back up the stairs into his dorm room. He stumbled into bed, raised the covers over him and fell asleep as his head hit the pillow.

However, he woke up an hour later from a recurring nightmare he's had before about a graveyard. Why must he suffer like this? He already is scarred from the punishments he gets from Uncle Vernon. What more could he want in life other than death?

So, for the rest of the night, he just decides to sit up and just stare into the centre of the room, not caring about his sleep patterns as it has been ruined for a while. He doesn't need to sleep anymore. He pondered if he was allowed to be in the common room now. He knows he's not allowed out into the corridors until sunrise, but he just wants to stay up here where it was warm and...lonely.

*****

It was still a rough week for Harry as Ron still wasn't talking to him at all. Hermione was becoming annoyed at having to go from Ron to Harry and tell them exactly what the other said. She was feeling like an owl, delivering messages from one person to the next and she didn't like it. Harry was feeling a lot worse in the week, guilt eating away at him as he and Ron continued to ignore each other.

Harry would have liked to see Hagrid at Care of Magical Creatures, but as he was a Twi-Wizard champion he had to also deal with the Slytherins.

As predicted, Draco walked over to Hagrid's hut with his goons trailing behind him. "Well, if it isn't the champion?" he said to his goons, Crabbe and Goyle. "Better get your autograph books out because I don't think he'll be around much longer since most of the Tri-Wizard champions have died. How long do you think you'll last, Potter? I bet you won't last five minutes!" he smirked.

Crabbe and Goyle snickered from the insult, but Draco had to stop as Hagrid had just come out of his hut holding a tower of crates.

Harry ignored Draco and his insults, even to Hagrid. He knew Draco was just acting, as he said he would when making the truce. Although, every insult made him just want to bleed out his emotions. It was like Draco was cutting him open with a saw, one insult drilling into his skin to the next. He walked up to Hagrid when instructed to but thought he would have to actually put a collar on a Blast-Ended Skrewt but no, he was only being asked question about the Twi Wizard. Harry sighed in relief as Hagrid told him he didn't believe he'd put his name in the Goblet.

Harry was in the Potions classroom and was sitting next to Neville since all the other places were full. He didn't dislike Neville; he was actually very smart once you get to know him. He was like one of those 'geeks' muggles call.

Harry couldn't believe what Draco, - no Malfoy did before Potions. He was so angry at him because of the spell he hit Hermione with. It also scored him in detention with Ron somehow and Ron wasn't even in the fight. Harry looked over at the Slytherins, they were all wearing the familiar badges that read 'Potter Stinks'. Harry felt a lot worse than he had when he woke up, hug dug his nails into his arm that was covered by his long-sleeved shirt and felt the familiar pain that numbed him for a while.

The potions classroom door slammed shut, that could only mean Professor Snape had entered. "We'll be making antidotes today. I'm sure you have all the required ingredients and have completed the recipes. We just need someone to test it out on." Snape looked directly towards Harry.

Harry was too depressed to even hear what Snape was saying. He didn't even hear a knock on the classroom door that startled everyone. He didn't hear Colin Creevey entering, or even asking if Harry could come with him to take photos for the Tournament. When instructed to, Harry got up and left to take photos with Colin, feeling his depression drown him down some more.

*****

It was after the detention, Harry watched as Ron stormed out of the Potions Classroom after having to clean cauldrons out. It had been a very long silent detention, neither boy was talking, only scrubbing.

"Harry!" Malfoy called, walking up to Harry with a smirk. It actually pained him so much when Harry's been ignoring him. But his favourite Gryffindor should know that he's only joking about the insults.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked over at Draco. "What do you want, Malfoy?" He wasn't in the mood for anything right now. He just wanted to get back to Gryffindor Tower and have a Mental Breakdown about the Tournament which is in a month time.

"So, we're back to last name basis?" Malfoy asked, 'Potter Stinks' badge flashing on his robe. He just doesn't get it. He's only laid off a few of the insults he had in mind and used the less nasty ones. "What happened, Potter?"

Harry chuckled bitterly. "Oh, hmmm... Let me guess? Cursing my friend! Those bloody badges! That's what happened!" he said, getting his wand out and tapping it on Malfoy's badge to change it back to Cedric's side. "What makes you think that I'd ever want to keep the truce with you now?"

Draco sighed, a frown coming on his face. He honestly didn't mean any of it. It's just so his father doesn't suspect anything if Crabbe and Goyle were to say anything to their own fathers. "Look, I'm sorry!" he said regretfully and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Remember when I said I still had to insult you, so people don't suspect anything?"

Harry nodded slightly, remembering that exact day. He still couldn't believe that Malfoy of all people was apologizing again. At least he's trying though. But why did he have to hex Hermione? She did nothing at all to deserve it.

"Well, I still have to keep up my... attitude," Draco says, and he had a downturned mouth as he felt guilty for his actions. "Again, I'm really sorry about Granger. I was just angry, okay?"

"Angry?!" Harry spat in disbelief. How could he be angry and why? He did nothing wrong. Hermione did nothing wrong, and same with Ron. He just doesn't get guys at times.

"Yes, Potter! Angry," said Draco whose chin jutted out and he crossed his arms. He couldn't believe this. Why won't he get it? "It's an emotion, you know?" He didn't even realize he used sarcasm until it was too late.

Harry ignored the sarcasm and pointed his wand at the badge. "You still think I'd have the nerve to keep the truce when that is on every Slytherin's robes?!" he asks him, and his jaw tightened scornfully. He knows one thing. Without Draco in his life as a really good friend, he would be so lost. Ever since they've become friends, he has felt just a tiny bit better than he was during the holidays. But he doesn't want the Slytherin getting his trust back this easily.

"As I said before, I was angry," Draco repeated coolly, staring at Harry's wand. He pondered how many spells that wand has cast but the sudden wand he has been thinking of for a while, which he really shouldn't be thinking about right now, was in Harry's pants. Merlin's Beard please save him from these thoughts. "I thought that you'd like to see your name in the Daily Prophet."

Harry sighed and put his wand away, shaking his head at the Slytherin. "When will you get it through your thick skull?" he asked him. Well, he's been asking the world that. "I don't want attention, it's so annoying having the Prophet tell its viewers about such negative and bias things about me. I cannot control what the papers write about me, Rita's always making up stories about me! You don't get it! Nobody does! Nobody knows how the great Harry Potter lives. Everyone thinks I live in some castle and is treated like royalty but I'm not!" He stopped before he would say anything else.

Malfoy bit his lip and looked down to the floor, frowning again. His shoulders felt a little heavy now, and he said, "Sorry." He meant the apology. He wanted Harry back in his life again. It's all he wants right now.

Harry turned around and left, not looking back even when hearing his name being called out. He just couldn't deal with this right now. He scratched hard at his cuts from under his sleeve before he finally felt the relief of pain. He walked through the castle, not caring where he went as long as he was alone.

*****

Harry walked into the Great Hall for supper, he noticed Draco-, no, Malfoy taking to a familiar Black haired and Blue-eyed girl who he knew was Ivy. Ivy smiled over at Harry, and he tried to smile but couldn't, so he just nodded his head and sat down facing the Slytherins. When remembering the Potion's incident, he just couldn't believe that Malfoy would do such a thing. He remembered telling Malfoy when asking for a truce that he was not to insult his friends anymore. But Malfoy broke the truce, he must live to regret it now. Even though Harry wanted to have a truce between him and Malfoy, he couldn't just let his own friends be insulted.

Harry sighed and grabbed a couple of Frankfurt's, squirted some tomato sauce on his plate and dipped a Frankfurt in. He didn't really feel hungry at all, but he ate a Frankfurt just to give him some energy for the rest of the day. He knew he'd just vomit the food out later, as he had been doing for ages now. It sucked. All of it including his life. Why can't he just choke on his vomit and die?

Harry looked up at the Slytherin table and noticed Malfoy had his badge on Cedric's side. He noticed Malfoy was also playing with his food, Fried Kosher Dill Pickles was his favourite food. He knew Malfoy would go for a second helping if he could. He felt himself blush, knowing what Malfoy's favourite food was. He knew it wasn't a normal thing to know unless they knew each other for many years and were best friends. They were just boys who broke apart their rival. Well, tried to at least.

Harry then heard the familiar sound of feathers and hoots coming from the owls that had just flown into the Great Hall. There were only a few owls, not a lot but that didn't stop him from watching his own snowy owl, Hedwig, fly down onto the table. He noticed Hedwig was carrying a letter, the only people who ever sent him letters was Sirius, Mrs Weasley or Remus. "Hello, Hedwig."

Hedwig hooted and gave Harry a friendly peck. She wasn't dumb. She could practically sense the emotions in humans and the vibes she was getting from her owner told her something was up. What she lacked was the ability to read minds then she'll be able to figure out why her owner looks so down all the time.

Harry ignored the peck from his snowy owl, grabbed the letter and stuffed it in his pocket to read later. "Thanks," he told her flatly, not interested in any type of communication from anyone or anything. Not that he calls Hedwig a thing...

Hedwig hooted, ruffled up her snowy white feathers, and flew back out the Great Hall to the Owlery. She was to keep a close eye on her owner and if she suspects anything, she'll go right to that nice bookworm known as Hermione and that food-obsessed Redhead named Ron.

Harry sighed and continued dipping his Frankfurt in tomato sauce absentmindedly. He just wanted to get away from this place filled with students and teachers. Going someplace alone like Myrtle's bathroom sounds okay. He just prefers for her to mind her own business even if she does get a little comforting and a nice person to be around.

At the Slytherin table

Ivy nudged her cousin with her elbow, knowing Harry's been staring at her cousin for quite a while. It was funny and exciting though. It either means Harry likes her cousin back or something else... "You know Draco, Harry was looking at you when he entered just a second ago."

"He's probably still angry at me," Draco replied with a frown, poking his Fried Kosher Dill Pickles in the ranch sauce. He hates the silent treatment he's getting with Harry. He wished he never even thought about agreeing with Goyle to hex Granger. "We had a little argument after Potions, I'm sure you heard that we hexed each other's friends."

Ivy sighed at her cousin, disappointed that he'd start a fight with Harry Potter. Where's the whole friendship gone? She was getting really excited about her cousin finally asking Harry out. "Draco! What happened to the truce and not insulting one another?"

"I'm not sure anymore," Draco said with a light shrug, not even knowing himself what happened. He really misses Harry and wants him back in his life. Harry has made him much happier than ever in his lifetime. He... loves him. "First, we were becoming friends and now... I feel so bad." He sighed and laid his head on Ivy's shoulder, hoping he would get Harry's trust again.

Ivy petted Draco's hair, though she could feel that he wasn't happy about touching his hair. That was okay though. She gets why he won't let anyone touch his hair. It's so soft and she can feel the gel in it. "I know... Why did you do it?"

"You know I have to keep up with being a Malfoy," Draco says flatly and removes his head from her shoulder. He wishes it were Harry's shoulders he could lay his head on. That would be nice, to lay on Harry or have him lay on him. Or just to lay by his side and sneak glances at him. "I don't know what will happen if my father finds out about me befriending Harry or even having a romantic relationship with him."

"Oh, Draco." Ivy shook her head at that thought and side hugged her cousin. "Let's not talk about cursing for now..." she hesitated, looking down at the food with disgust and ended the side hug as a few Slytherins were looking at them. It's not normal to hug in the Great Hall. She doesn't like attention much. Only a little. "Harry really was looking at you, you know."

"It can't be what I think it is, Ivy. But I wish it were," Draco said, his eyebrows drew closer as he imagined Harry looking at him secretly in a lover kind of way. Merlin, what a dream that would be. He kind of felt a little better, could it be true? "Maybe he was looking at you?" The question hurt him all over. He knows Harry's into guys more, but he still...

"No, otherwise I would have known," Ivy said and shook her head with a small smile. She would have known someone was staring at her, and it wasn't Harry. Nobody has been looking at her, it's why she feels like a ghost all the time. Just a soul travelling in her own little world. "He was definitely looking at you, the only time he looked my way was when he entered the Great Hall which I smiled at him and he returned the smile. Besides, you know I'm a lesbian."

Draco chuckled, remembering a year ago when she told him who she liked. "Yeah, gay for Brown," he said with a smirk, and gave her hair a light pat on the head and it didn't look like she enjoyed the head pat.

"Shh! Don't be so loud!" Ivy hissed in his direction and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. It only made Draco laugh. "Yes, Lavender Brown is my crush, but I don't think I'd ever get to be with her. And it's not called gay, it's Les-bi-an."

Draco raised his hands in surrender with that smirk on his face, but it was only as a joke. "I know, I'm just teasing," he told her, giving her upper arm a little nudge with his elbow. But then his eyebrow raised at something Ivy told him. "Moreover, what do you mean you don't think you'd be able to be with her?"

Ivy sighed sadly and filled her goblet up with pumpkin juice. She had to tell him as she tells her cousin everything she goes through. "Well, you know how Gryffindor's and Slytherins don't like each other and such?" she asked him, and when Draco nodded as he understood, she continued. "I don't think Lavender would ever want to come near a Slytherin like me."

"But didn't you say that the hat would have put you in Gryffindor?" Draco asked her and remembered hearing the story about how the hat talked to her. He doesn't believe the hat talks directly to people; it just does its job.

Ivy nodded and sipped her pumpkin juice. "Yeah, it did," she said quietly as she could hear the hat speaking to her again because of that memory. Such a distant memory from so long ago and here she is. Still surviving though broken on the inside. "I chose to be in Slytherin though."

"I guess, but that still doesn't mean you can't have her," Draco tells her because it's true. Nobody shouldn't be able to have someone just because of their house, race, gender, sexuality, and whatever else. It's all just discrimination.

Ivy remembered the promise she made Draco do, she really wanted to change the subject so she wouldn't begin to feel even more depressed. Some memories, although good, really bring back negative thoughts. "You still have that promise I want you to do."

"I know, I know. I just don't know when to ask him," Draco said with a pinch of annoyance as this question keeps getting asked by his cousin and Pansy. He gave Ivy the look, wanting her to at least eat something. "He's either with Granger or Weasley. Besides, he'll probably not accept since I hexed his friend."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him but know he was only concerned about her health. "Fine, I'll eat," she said, and she really will if it's concerning him. She just doesn't like the taste of food anymore. Even ice cream tastes like ashes. "Not my fault my mother doesn't feed me."

Draco saw tears start to form in his cousin's eyes, so he gave her a side hug for comfort and loaded some sausage rolls on her plate. He knows that she loves her sausages and pasties, it's one of her favourite meals besides Lasagna. She's always making some things up like how Lasagna is the food of the gods and goddesses and that some cat names Garfield even agrees with her. Who the hell is Garfield though? It sounds like some butler's name honestly.

Ivy grabbed a sausage roll and nibbled at it slowly, tasting that disgusting ashy flavour she dislikes. Draco watched his suffering cousin and shook his head sadly. "You really need to start eating more, Ivy," he said seriously but in a soft tone just so she doesn't feel worse. "It's not healthy to feel sick after eating something so small. I'll do everything in my power to help you, but you need to let me help you. You need to bring down those walls of self-esteem and let me in."

Ivy nodded and began biting at the sausage roll, it actually tasted a bit better now that she was eating the meat part. She looked over at the Ravenclaw table to the Beauxbatons girls in their blue uniforms and extremely short skirts. It's honestly so mouthwatering.

Draco caught his cousin staring off at the Ravenclaw table and it was obvious to him who she was staring at. "Did you want to tell me why I've been seeing Beauxbaton girls being led by you into the sixth year's girl's dormitory nearly every evening?" he asked her curiously although he knew the answer. Bloody lesbians...

Ivy flushed red at the information she's being fed to by her cousin which is pretty much right. She has been shagging a few girls from Beaxbatons in secret, which she thought was in secret. Maybe she should lead them into the dorm later on in the evening like right before curfew. The luckiest part of her sex life if the spells in which she can make her cuts disappear for an hour or two. So, she can have clean arms, that aren't worrying, while she shags other girls.

"I thought so," Draco said after his cousin lost her ways of speaking so he continued eating his sandwich until he felt someone pinch him on the arm a couple of minutes after. "What was that for?" he asked her coldly. Sometimes she takes things too far.

"Harry's looking your way again," Ivy whispered to him and couldn't hold down a giggle. Merlin's Beard she loves these two boys who are obviously liking each other but don't see it. But that's the problem. Why don't they see that they both are oblivious to liking each other? It just gets so frustrating. She just wants to push those two together to make them hug or even better kiss.

Draco turned around and locked eyes with Harry Potter. He was hoping to look at Harry while he's facing the other way, but this is better. Emerald Green eyes met Silver and both boys turned back around and blushed. Ivy giggled at her cousin and the Gryffindor boy who are so obviously in love with each other. Why can't they see it!

Draco tried to cover his blushing face, but it was no use. At least the only person who saw his blush was Ivy and nobody else. "Anyway, have you ever noticed how he's changed since our second year?" he asked as he knew Harry's demeanour has changed to something quite... alarming. He's worried for his crush's heath.

"I don't really see him as much as you do, so I wouldn't know," Ivy told him while staring blankly at the sausage roll in her hands as the taste was now getting quite boring. She wished she could eat like everyone else could. "Also, what do you mean changed?"

"He's been looking rather skinny lately, as well as gloomy," Draco said and his eyebrows furrowed in complete worry. He hopes he's not the only one who sees it. Granger and Weasley must be seeing it too. They're with him all the time during meals.

Ivy nodded sadly, making note to check with Harry every so often. If there really is something going on with Harry, she and Draco will find it out but in their own ways. "As in normal skinny or too skinny for his age?"

"Too skinny for his age, he's been looking quite depressed a lot," Draco said and frowned at the thought of Harry ever being depressed. What could be bad about his life? Besides not having parents... "It's kind of worrying, to be honest. I don't even know if his friends can see it as clearly as I can."

"I understand that, do you think he's depressed because of his parents?" Ivy asked him because everyone knows about the Great Harry Potter and having to lose his parents at such a young age. It's honestly so depressing. But she knows that just can't be a reason for being depressed and not eating enough food. There has got to be a backstory to this.

Draco looked over at Harry who was continuously dipping a Frankfurt into the tomato sauce. He wished he could go up there and join him. He just knows he probably isn't allowed to go sit with him because of his house. "Not sure, but I'd like to know."

Harry hid his face in his arms as he still felt the blush on his cheeks. He knew he shouldn't have been staring absentmindedly at Malfoy because Ivy probably told Malfoy that he was staring. He sighed with misery and began eating the Frankfurt that was covered in tomato sauce. He ignored the wan taste and the sick feeling he was getting from his stomach; he knew he could just puke it all up later. When He felt as if he had enough, even if he only had two, he decided to make an early start to his classes, but it turned out to be straight to the bathroom.

After lunch and throwing up the food in the boy's bathroom, he decided to head into his dorm to read the letter before class. He glanced around the room, not seeing anybody and made his way to his bed. He shut the curtains around him, opened the envelope and began reading the letter.

_Dear Harry_

_How is your first week back at Hogwarts? I've heard you got placed in the Tournament. I know you don't have the right mind to do something so silly. James would have never done it either. If you need help with the tasks, I'm always able to talk, jinxes, potions anything. Now, are you going to talk to me about this boy you admire? You know I accept you for who you are, right? You don't have to tell me his name yet, you can just write what he looks like. Like his hair colour, skin colour et cetera. What house he is in, I don't mind if he is in Slytherin. Not all Slytherins are evil, Harry. You know this because of Merlin as he was in Slytherin. Anyway, I have to end this letter here._

_From Sirius ___

__Harry re-read Sirius' letter and he chuckled sadly at his how his godfather wants to know about 'this boy', which is, of course, Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately, Harry didn't have enough time to write a reply, so he placed the letter under his pillow for later and headed to class._ _


	6. Promises and Truths

Harry woke up feeling exhausted after waking up from another nightmare. He felt like his body had just run miles whilst he was sleeping. Usually, Harry always kept his curtains down, around him, as he slept. It had always felt safe to him like nothing could get him.

Harry noticed that Ron was sitting up in bed with his arms hugging his legs. He wished he could sleep like that, so peacefully. "Your awake," Ron said in a sleepy tone and rubbed at his eyes.

"Just woke up," Harry lied since he was up all night. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and feeling a familiar burning sensation from his left arm. He tried to ignore the pain, but it was too powerful. He felt numb, the good numb, the emotionless numb from his cuts. He sluggishly grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and put them on.

"So, did you put your name in the Goblet?" Ron asked critically, staring at Harry for an honest reply. All he wanted was honesty from his best mate and no silly bias.

"Nobody can get passed Dumbledore's age line, not unless they're 17 or older," Harry said tiredly and resting his head on his knees. He was tired of having to answer the same question repeatedly, especially if it was something he didn't do.

"Well, you've gotten past it. How?" Ron asked and looked back down at his bedsheets, not believing that his best mate could get past the age line, but he somehow did. He just wanted to find out how. Doesn't he know the Tournaments are blood dangerous? Even he wouldn't do such a thing unless he's old enough.

"I told you, I didn't put my name in that damn goblet!" Harry spat out to him but in a quiet voice, so he didn't wake the others. Now he was getting annoyed with his 'best mate'. He scratched at his arm, feeling the relief of the pain once again. "I was here all afternoon as I came back from dinner. So, please, come off it!"

Ron kept buggering Harry and asked him how he got passed Dumbledore's age line. Harry had enough of this, he got up, got dressed, and head down to Breakfast. He knew that people would stare at him if he went to breakfast like they always do, so he decided to skip and head straight to Divination. It was a fair distance away from Gryffindor Tower so he could easily get there in time.

As Harry entered through a corridor, he was so deep in thought that he didn't see the other person coming around the corner and accidentally bumped into that person. He thought he'd just bounce off the individual but no, he fell down onto the floor with the person underneath him. He took a sharp intake of breath as soon as he knew who that person was.

Those shining silver eyes staring right back at him, he could feel the boy's hot breath on his own face. Although, as Harry stared into those pools of silver, he couldn't help but see just the slightest hint of blue. It was the colour of the blue sky during the day, Harry's favourite shade of blue. He could feel his cheeks starting to redden as he just bumped into Draco Malfoy, his crush. The Slytherin's face is so close to his own, their noses slightly touching, he could just easily lean in and kiss him.

Harry's eyes trailed up to the blonde's perfect styled hair which he just wanted to touch again. His eyes then travelled down to the blonde's pink lips which looked very welcoming, soft, and warm. The sound of Draco clearing his throat made Harry snap out of the gaze he was in. He just realized that he was just checking out Draco Malfoy in front of him.

Harry looked back up into Draco's stunning silvery eyes again, and a flush crept up his face. "Sorry, Draco," he said, and he cleared his throat. This just couldn't be happening. He was supposed to be on his way to class and not bump into the hottest guy in school. Well, he knows others don't fawn over Draco like he does. Not even any girls.

Draco could feel his own cheeks redden at the sight of Harry Potter, who he knew was just checking him out. "No, I'm sorry," he said on a soft tone of voice, and he smiled at him. "I was rushing and wasn't looking where I was going."

Harry had to agree with Draco there as they both seemed to be deep in thought before they crashed into one another. "Yeah, neither was I," he replied with a small, returned smile.

Draco still found it adorable that Harry had checked him out as it reminded him of the third year, except he was doing the checking out. He loves that smile, those perfect lips he just wants to kiss every day. That black hair, no matter how messy it is but it always seems to be hotter every day and Draco just wants to run his fingers through it. Those beautiful Emerald green eyes. He just wishes he can tell Harry how attractive and incredible he is. He bit his lip as he had been staring at Harry's lips which he wished he could kiss so slowly and lovingly.

Harry felt the blush still remaining on his cheeks, just watching as Draco bite his lip made him feel all warm and fuzzy and just want to kiss him. He just doesn't know how much he wants to kiss Draco. Those gorgeous Silvery eyes that stare back at him, he just wants to stare into them forever. That whiteish blonde hair is so perfect, no matter if it has gel in it or not. _Draco Lucius Malfoy, you're just so attractive! I just wish I can tell you how beautiful you are every morning; I want to wake up and kiss you good morning every day _. However, he knows he'll never be able to do that, and will never be good enough for Draco.__

____

Draco wondered if Harry was still mad at him for cursing Granger. He'd been wallowing in guilt since that day. He missed Harry. "Look... I'm sorry for cursing Granger," he says with a remorse tone of voice. At least her rabbit teeth are gone. "It was a stupid thing to do. I can't blame my anger on it, you or her. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

__

Harry frowned at him, wondering if there really is something which Draco can do to make it up for the things he did and said. "It's okay, I've forgiven you." Has he really forgiven Draco after everything he did and said? The answer is yes because who wouldn't forgive that pretty face.

__

"So, is the truce back on?" Draco asked immediately, staring at Harry's frown, and pondering what's going on in Harry's life that brings a frown upon that beautiful face of his. He wants to know why Harry looks so down all the time, and every single day. In his third year, Harry seemed happier. He remembers that clearly.

__

Harry nodded at him. The truce is definitely back on. "You can make it up to me by..." Actually, he didn't know how Draco could make it up to him. Right now, he just couldn't think directly because of how those silver eyes stared right through to his soul.

__

"-Helping you out in Potions and maybe showing you another one of my secret places?" Draco finished off Harry's sentence and suggested a really good idea to make it up to Harry. It won't have anything to do with apologizing to Granger, but at least he will be helping Harry get a better grade in his Potions examinations.

__

Harry nodded again, liking that idea. Good lord, he needs the help in Potions otherwise he will be failing the class in a matter of months. He doesn't actually want that. He wants to pass so he can get a good enough job. "That sounds very fair."

__

Draco gave Harry a weak smile, he hasn't been in that secret room in the library since showing Harry that day. "I'd be happy to help you with Potions. Merlin knows you need it!" he added with a smirk and to his surprise it made Harry smile. That's what he likes to see, a charming smile. "I'll owl you a date, time and a place we'll meet over breakfast either tomorrow or the day after that."

__

Harry's frown grew into a small smile after the small little insult from Draco. Speaking of owls... Harry still hadn't owled Sirius back, he made a mental note to do it this afternoon. "Thanks, Draco," he said benevolently, although flushing when Draco mentioned the word 'date'. He thought of a different type of date. "I can't wait!"

__

Harry and Draco both only realized that they were still in the same position, but they didn't seem to mind at all or realize that they were being stared at by older students: one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff.

__

Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang were spying on the two from around a corner. They were waiting for something surprising to happen but that never came. They caught these two fourth years just as they crashed into each other and fell to the floor which excited them both. Well, Cedric was more excited than Cho as he knew about Harry's little crush on Draco. It wasn't hard to see actually, and neither was Draco's apparent crush on Harry.

__

Cho felt a little impatient in waiting for two rivals to kiss, so she sighed and leaned her head against the wall. "Do you think we should go over and pretend we just saw them?" she whispered to her best friend, a little curiously as she wanted these two to just... get it over with!

__

Cedric watched the two boys in awe as he knew there was lots of chemistry with them two. "My good side is telling me we should leave them alone but the other side of me is saying we should go over and act surprised," He told her and gave her a smirk. There was a second of hesitation for him, and he thought for a minute. "Yeah, let's go and intrude. I don't think they both know the other likes them back."

__

Cho raised an eyebrow at her best friend. She knew about Draco's crush on Harry as she could easily see it but didn't know about Harry's crush back on the Slytherin. The Slytherin was honestly like a girl and how they show their signs of having a crush on a guy. "Wait... So, you're saying Harry likes Draco more than a best friend?" she asked him carefully, and her eyebrow seemed to raise a little higher at the obvious look on her friend's face.

__

Cedric nodded and a knowing smile spread on his face. "Exactly!" he said with a little bit of enthusiasm as he looked down at her. "And I'm guessing Draco likes Harry back the same way but it's only a hunch. Can I trust you to keep it a secret?"

__

Cho nodded; she could easily keep secrets. Especially for her friends. "Of course, I can!" she said silently but sincerely, and she smiled at the two boys who were still staring into each other's eyes. Oh, it just warmed her heart. It just reminds her of a romance novel where it's love at first sight. It's truly beautiful! "You know me better than that, don't you? Anyway... Let's go to them, I want to see their reactions when they see us."

__

"Okay, then," Cedric replied with a smile and followed his friend slowly over to the two boys, not to make a sound.

__

Harry and Draco were still staring at each other's eyes, both thinking the same thing. Kiss him! You know you want to. But they just couldn't do it.

__

Cho decided to make an appearance and drop her Potions book on the floor a few feet away from the two. She gasped in shock at seeing the two rivals so close together. She couldn't believe how good she was at acting, she sounded like it was real.

__

The two boys looked up at the Ravenclaw in shock, scared she might run off and tell someone. They couldn't deal with people finding out right now. Well, their secret friendship they couldn't deal with. However, whatever the students think was going on... that would be a whole new story.

__

Cho then didn't know what to do, all she thought about was giving them a shocked face, not anything else. "Uhm... Hi!" she said, she looked over at Cedric and gestured him to come over to her with a nod.

__

Cedric then made an appearance and came out from behind a statue. "Well, well, well..." he grinned at the two boys' whose faces flushed when seeing him come out of hiding. He just adores making random appearances and catching people in an act. "Who do we have here?"

__

"Um..." Harry managed to say shyly. He just didn't know what to do. He felt as if he was stuck, frozen to the spot and directly over Draco which only made his flush darken. God, why does Draco make him feel this way? He knows the obvious answer is having a crush on him but like... can he for once control the blush on his face?

__

Draco cleared his throat, not knowing what to do or say. Harry was still on top of him so he couldn't runoff and Harry's hand was still on his stomach which gave him a funny feeling in his pants. His hand was just so warm, and it was vibrating all through him.

__

Cedric gave the two boys a big smile as he asked them, "So... are you two going to kiss or not?" The question was a massive one, and one he looks forward to hearing the answer for. Or to actually see kissing being done.

__

Both boys turned to look at one another with blushes on their cheeks, green eyes met silver. Harry slowly got up and off Draco even if he secretly didn't want to. He just realized his hand had been leaning on Draco's stomach which made him apologize again, "Sorry!"

__

Draco stayed in the position on the floor, he felt a little sad that Harry moved from where he was. He wished he could be with him all day, like how Weasley and Granger could. He'd love to be friends with Harry again and be able to spend quality time with him, but he knew he'd just want to be more than best friends. He'd want to be able to cuddle with Harry, kiss and hold hands as they walk through the corridor.

__

Cedric chuckled at the two boys while Cho giggled at them. This was such a nice sight to see. Two people deeply in love though they don't see it. "You know, you two really are adorable together," he said with a warm smile, and hinting what they should become.

__

"Indeed! We were waiting for something interesting to happen," Cho replied, mirroring Cedric's warm smile and hinting, like Cedric, of what the two boys should have done together that rhymes with 'missing'. Oh, she just adores gay couples.

__

That only made the two flustered boys blush even more. Harry tried not to show much emotion but failed. He tried coming up with the worst scenarios he could in his head. "Y-you-re not g-going to t-tell anyone?" he asked shakily, though not knowing of his panic attack coming around. Draco looked at him with an expression of worry, knowing shakiness was apart of panic attacks as Ivy has them at times.

__

Cedric and Cho shook their heads, not wanting to tell anyone unless these two boys actually get together. "We better be off to class now. Buh bye!" Cho said and waved goodbye to them, then she decided it was time to head off to class.

__

"Yeah! What she said," Cedric replied awkwardly and walked off with Cho, glad they could leave the two lovebirds alone to sort things out. They needed time to themselves more often by the looks of it. And they needed time to talk, definitely.

__

Harry and Draco slowly got up from the floor, wiping themselves free from dust and dirt. There was a moment of silence between the two boys, not knowing what to say to each other. The few minutes they just witnessed nearly shook them.

__

Harry knew he had to also get to class, he didn't know if Breakfast was over or not. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and decided to break the silence between him and Draco. "Uh... I better get to class..." he said and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling at the ground. "I don't want to be late, even though I hate Divination."

__

"I have to agree with you there, Divination is worthless," Draco says, nodding in agreement with him. He doesn't even recall getting a singular thing right in Divination. Apparently, you had to believe in Divination to be able to do it. "Hope you get to your class on time!"

__

"Thank you, Draco," Harry said with a small smile, his cheeks still felt warm from blushing so much. What an interesting morning this has been after crashing into none other than Draco. "Same to you!"

__

Draco gave a small little wave and smile to Harry and started walking to Ancient Runes, remembering being closer to Harry than he'd ever been and staring into those brilliant green eyes. He'll never forget this, being so close to Harry, and his green eyes that stared into his own, and those lips that he could have kissed with a simple movement forward.

__

Harry made his way up to the Divination tower, climbed up the ladder into the classroom and decided to find a place to sit for when the lesson starts. Sooner than later, everyone who's in his Divination class started arriving. First Lavender, Dean, Seamus, Ron, and the others. Harry completely ignored Ron, whilst Ron ignored Harry back. That was fine to him.

__

"Good morning class, today we'll be doing something much easier," said Professor Trelawny in her shaky voice, and smiling at all her students. "We'll be using zodiac crystals to see what is set for you in the future."

__

Lavender raised her hand.

__

"Yes dear?" asked Professor Trelawny with her wide-eyed spectacles. Though some of her students wonder if those really are her eyes.

__

"Um... Professor, what are our zodiacs?" Lavender asked whilst raising her eyebrows as she was curious to what the special word meant. She knew of a lot of Divination words, but 'zodiac' was new to her.

__

"Zodiac signs are a belt of the heavens within about 8° either side of the ecliptic, including all apparent positions of the sun, moon, and most familiar planets," Professor Trelawny explained and most of the class all groaned silently from how boring it sounded. "It is divided into twelve equal divisions or signs. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. To find out your Zodiac, you must tell me your birthday."

__

Everyone looked at the Professor in utter confusion and tedium, until Lavender broke the silence by saying, "The 31st of August Professor."

__

"Ah yes, Virgo," Professor Trelawny said and she looked up into the sunny sky like she could see the stars though it's daylight. "You are well known for your trustworthiness, discipline, and caring nature. You have a strong understanding of people and use this ability to identify the best way to help others."

__

Lavender smiled happily at the Professor, feeling proud of being a Virgo now that she knew what it meant. She wondered who else was a Virgo like herself.

__

"Please go and collect your crystal, Lavender," the Professor said and pointed to the round wooden table in front of her desk which dozens of crystals each lay glimmering in the sunlight. "It's the pink coloured crystal." Lavender excitedly got up and collected her pink Crystal, studying its beauty at her table.

__

Padma and her twin sister Parvati raised her hand, wanting to find her crystal-like her friend too. "Me! Do us, Professor!" she said quickly, her arm waving in the air still as she couldn't wait to have her zodiac crystal. "22nd of April."

__

"Taurus, yes," the Professor said, knowing well of the bull zodiac sign and its characteristics beyond the stars. "Your personality is defined by your loving and determined nature. In all your relationships, you display loyalty and faithfulness. While your romantic partners and loved ones appreciate this quality greatly, it may be your determination that they admire the most."

__

"So, which crystal is ours, Professor?" Parvati asked while she was looking at the table with colourful crystals glimmering in the classroom. She hoped to get the other pink one, or the purple one! The blue looks nice.

__

"It's the red one, my dears," the Professor said, and she went back to her desk to mark the role and watch over her students for disbelievers in Divination or misbehaving students. Although, she rarely catches anyone misbehaving in her class as she's too focused on her class and Divination.

__

Then after that, the whole class except Harry raised their hands and asked the Professor what their zodiac was. Even though of his popularity, the professor told Harry what his zodiac was. "Oh, Mr Potter. Your zodiac is Leo. You are most comfortable in a social setting. You love people and don't shy away from any chance to be the centre of attention."

__

Harry didn't know what any of that meant or even if it was true. He knew he's not known for wanting attention. Well, sometimes he is but it's rare. He didn't really pay much attention to what he had to do, all that was on his mind were those stunning silver eyes who belonged to Draco Malfoy and his own dark thoughts.

__

The Divination lesson was completely annoying as Professor Trelawny kept predicting Harry's death, over and over again. It got to the point where Harry felt like Hermione in the third year, where she felt like the class was completely silly. He thought about the death predictions Professor Trelawny gave him and wondered if these predictions are real and that he'll try to- He shouldn't think that far. He knows that he is depressed, but you don't want to die from these predictions though the thought was somewhat nice. Harry shook those thoughts out of his head.

__

A-few-totally-normal-predictions-of-Harry's-death-later, the class was over. Trelawney gave the class homework; they had to use their own personal planet charts and predict certain casualties. After Harry wrote his homework down, he put everything back in his bag and left to go for a short walk before Transfiguration.

__

*****

__

Draco looked around at his surroundings in the courtyard, seeing a giant tree and headed over to it with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. All he was thinking about was Harry; those beautiful green eyes, that pretty smile, the fluffy black hair he just wants to run his hands through as he snogs the boy hard against a wall. "Help me up the tree?" he asked Gregory and Vincent quietly, but he was already trying to climb up it.

__

"Why do you want to climb the tree, Draco?" Crabbe asked curiously, looking the tree up and down like it would give him a reason why his buddy wants to climb up the tree. It didn't give him an answer though, which was disappointing to him. Even Gregory was looking for an answer beyond the tree and from Draco.

__

Draco sighed at the two, wishing they could just help him up the tree. It's all he wants to do, as well as impress Harry. "Just... please," he said and looked back at them. Can't they do something right for once or even listen to what he says? He knows these two aren't his slaves but sometimes it feels like it. "It's for...someone."

__

By the request, Crabbe and Goyle tried their hardest to help Draco up the tree for whatever reason their blonde Slytherin friend had. It took them a few tries but managed to help Draco up the tree with ease. Draco sat on the tree cross-legged, peering down at all the students until a mess of black fluffy hair came into view. He smiled at Harry, admiring how attractive the boy was and just wanting to kiss him in front of everyone. "Hey, Harry!"

__

Goyle looked up at his blonde friend sitting on the tree. He was shocked and confused right now due to the fact that Draco called Potter his first name. What happened to 'Potter' this and 'Potter' that? But most importantly, what happened to Draco. "Why're you calling him 'Harry' now?"

__

Draco took his eyes off Harry for just a minute which was extremely hard to do, to look at his friend below him on the floor of the Courtyard. "I just do," he said in a flat voice, just waiting for Harry to notice him already. "Let's just say... it's a part of our rivalry. Oh, and because it's his name which I and everyone else really should be using instead of last names."

__

Goyle nodded; but then Harry walked up to the small Slytherin group, completely ignoring Crabbe and Goyle, and peered up at Draco. "Why're you up in a tree, Draco?" the Gryffindor asked, raising his eyebrows as he loved seeing the sunlight reflect on the boy's whitish blonde hair. It was mesmerizing and beautiful. Sometimes he wondered if he was staring at an angel who's secretly a fallen angel.

__

Draco shrugged and looked back at Harry with a smile. A smile he's been keeping for only Harry to see. "I just like to climb trees," he told him, ignoring everyone else in the vicinity of him, the tree, and Harry as he knew everyone would be staring at them. "That's all." He loves when that sparkle in Harry's eyes lights up from the sun and its rays shining down in them.

__

"Not likely." And then Pansy came into view, her short hair bobbing up and down above her collar. She giggled at the blonde and the oblivious Gryffindor who are so much in love with each other but cannot see it. "He just wants to impress a certain... person."

__

"Oh, really?" Harry couldn't help but sound interested. The thought of finding out about this person Draco wants to impress intrigued him. He could finally find out about this mystery dude and hate the guy until the day he died. Wouldn't it be great if Draco liked him back? Harry would be jumping all over the walls. "Can I hear more about this certain person?"

__

Pansy smirked at him, wanting so much to just come out to Potter about Draco's crush so she can finally get him to understand that his crush in worth it. "Why, of course!" she said sweetly as she went over to Harry, placing a hand on his back to lead him away from Draco so she can tell him. "If you would follow me, I would love to have a little chat about Draco's love interest with you."

__

"No!" Draco quickly but carefully hopped out of the tree, glaring at Pansy and made his way to Harry. He was not going to let her win whatever she was going to do. He won't let this happen. Harry could not know about his crush on him. What if he didn't like him back? "Perhaps, you'd like to know about Pansy's love interest, Harry? Hm?"

__

"Oh, no you don't!" Pansy exclaimed, the smirk still on her lips as she grabbed Potter by the wrist to try to take him away from Draco. If this was the only way to get them to get together then so be it. She will risk her friendship with Draco for this because it was worth it. She rather Draco be happy and finally dating Harry.

__

Unfortunately, Harry hissed in pain from the touch as his cuts underneath his jumper burned. God, the woman had sharp nails too. But they weren't sharp as nails or cat claws, they were actually round with white tips at the end. So, they didn't look sharp but the pressure of them digging into his skin kind of hurt.

__

Pansy stopped and looked at Harry worriedly; Draco too felt worried about his Gryffindor friend. "Harry?" Draco asked softly, and he wrinkled his brow. Surely Pansy's nails don't hurt that much. He's been scratched by Pansy's nails a couple of time and they never left any marks. "Are you alright?"

__

Pansy looked at her nails, studying them carefully. Her nails aren't sharp enough to actually hurt anyone or scar them. "Surely my nails can't hurt that bad!" she protested, frowning down at her nails which needs a new coating of nail polish. "Their blunt and couldn't even scar if I scratch at my skin."

__

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry said quietly and nodded at the two Slytherins. He just needed to get away. They can't find out about this... nobody can. He cannot let them know of his ways of dealing with his life, and the pain that sinks deeply into his heart. "I- need to go."

__

"Oh, all right," Draco said and he ran a hand gently through his hair, still extremely worried for Harry at what he and Pansy witnessed. He doesn't know about if Crabbe and Goyle saw what he and Pansy did, but that didn't matter. All that mattered is finding Harry and making sure he is alright. He watched the Gryffindor leave and then turned back to his fellow Slytherin friend. "You... you scratchy little git!" He whispered in a harsh tone. So many things could have happened if it weren't for Pansy and her nails. "Scaring Harry away like that."

__

Pansy laughed with her hands on her stomach. But she really was worried about Harry's sudden departure. It wasn't really normal wanting to get away after being 'scratched'. But maybe he wants to make sure he wasn't physically harmed with actual scratches. He could have checked for scratches in front of herself and Draco though. "Well, I'm sorry I scared your precious little Harry away."

__

Draco glared angrily at Pansy and then turned to leave towards where Harry had gone to. But really, he could not find Harry anywhere. He guessed the green-eyed wizard had gone to Gryffindor Tower. It was a shame; he really was really worried about Harry. Especially how the Gryffindor hissed like he was in pain. Merlin, he would cut Pansy's nails off in her sleep if they were that sharp. Scratchy little git!

__

Draco just headed up; he had no clue where the Gryffindor common room entrance was but guessed he just had to go up to find it. And of course, the last person he wants to run into, the best friend of Harry's was strolling up the stairs with her books tightly gripped to her chest.

__

"Granger!" he called halfheartedly. Perhaps the muggle-born knows where Harry is. She should know. She is Harry's friend after all.

__

Granger turned around and glared at him, not knowing what he wanted but it mustn't be good. "Malfoy?" What was he doing near the Gryffindor entrance? Did he know the portrait of the Fat Lady was the entrance into the Gryffindor common room? Good Lord, she hoped he didn't know.

__

"Have you seen Harry anywhere?" Draco asked her quickly, and he fiddled with the Malfoy ring on his finger with impatience. He just wanted to find Harry right away. The sooner he knows the sooner he can get away from this muggle-born girl.

__

"No," Granger said slowly and shook her head. Why can't he find Harry himself if he wanted to see him? She then raised her eyebrow, pondering why Malfoy wants to know where her best friend is. "Why do you want to know his location?"

__

"Never mind that, Granger," Draco said and he scowled at the questions he was being asked. He only came here to ask the questions, not Granger. But he admired the girl's worry for Harry as she should be worried. Shouldn't she know what Harry goes through? "I was just a little worried about what happened minutes ago."

__

Granger furrowed her eyebrows as she was now worried about her Gryffindor friend and what happened that she doesn't know about that occurred only minutes ago. "Why?" she asked at once. "What happened?"

__

Draco shrugged. He really didn't know what happened back there except Pansy's sharp nails digging into Harry's arm. "Just forget I said anything..." He turned around and left, but as he got down the stairs, he looked back up at her. "Granger?"

__

Granger looked back down at the Slytherin, wondering why she's still here and not in the library studying. "Mm?"

__

Draco looked around, seeing nobody, and sighed in relief. He didn't want to be caught in the act of saying, "I'm sorry for hexing you the other day." He really was sorry for what he had done. He hated losing Harry because of it.

__

Granger blinked, and a smile formed on her mouth. This was definitely a surprise to hear. "Thank you for the apology, Malfoy," she said kindly. Never in her life would she ever think Malfoy out of all people would be apologizing. "But I find this hard to believe that you would be apologizing to what you purebloods call... a Mudblood?"

__

"Sorry again," Draco said in a contrite tone, gave an apologetic smile and turned to leave. Finally, he can find Harry and search on his own. It's all he wants. To find his favourite Gryffindor and see if he's alright.

__

"Malfoy," Granger said once again, giving the wizard a knowing smile. She knew something has been up with her best friend and Malfoy. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows they're not rivals anymore or just acquaintances. Rivals don't talk to each other and call them by their first names.

__

Draco stopped and looked back at her, a little annoyed. What is it now? Honesty, he just wants to find Harry and make sure he is doing well.

__

"What exactly happened between you and Harry?" Granger asked him in a soft voice and tilted her head to the side a little, knowing something happened between Harry and Malfoy. "You seem to have become... somewhat friends."

__

Draco sighed. Why hasn't Harry told Granger about the truce yet? Perhaps Harry will tell Granger and Weasley in his own time when he is ready? So, if that is what Harry wants then Draco will accept that. It is time for some good old acting. "Me and Harry?" he asked in disbelief, well, he hoped he sounded disbelieving. "Friends? Pfft!" He cracked up in laughter.

__

Granger rolled her eyes at the Slytherin, knowing that was all an act as she saw him hesitating and thinking. "Whatever, Malfoy. Believe what you want." She turned and left for the Gryffindor common room.

__

Draco stopped his fake laughter and opened an eye, seeing Granger had left him alone. Thank Merlin! Now he really needed to find Harry and Pansy's nail clippers for a sneak attack. He rubbed his hands together, thinking of all the mischief he could do. He just hoped Harry was alright, somewhere safe, and perhaps alone or with Weasel.

__

But he still went around the castle searching for Harry and still had no luck. He searched the ground floor of the castle, the second, third, fourth and all the way up to the seventh floor of the castle. There was still no sight of Harry Potter anywhere. He even checked the secret place in the Library that he showed Harry. He wasn't there either, or at the Willow tree. Merlin's Beard where was he? Deciding that this was just tiring, he headed down to the dungeons for his little prank on Pansy.

__

When in the Slytherin 4th year boy's dormitory, he searched his trunk for his own nail clippers. He picked up the grey nail clippers from in a little compartment and checked his own nails out just to be sure his own nails weren't sharp. Perfect as always with no pointy or sharp edges. He smiled and headed down into the common room to find his sharp clawed friend.

__

"Here Pansy, Pansy, Pansy," he called out with a smirk and ignored all the other Slytherins staring at him oddly. Those people didn't matter. He just had to cut her sharp nails, even though they were blunt.

__

"Yeah, Dray?" Pansy said from on one of the black couches in front of the fireplace, and she looked behind her at her best friend. She's been waiting for him to get down here so she can tease him about his crush on Potter. She loves a good tease.

__

Draco walked slowly and silently towards the couch like a panther hunting its prey. His smirk stayed in place as he neared the black-haired Slytherin girl with short hair. He clicked the nail clippers together, hearing a 'click', 'click', 'click'.

__

Pansy quickly looked down at the things in her best friend's hand, seeing the nail clippers and her eyes widened with fear. Fear that her perfect nails will be chopped off by her best friend. She jumped off the couch with a, "No, don't you dare!"

__

"Yes, I do dare," Draco said as he rounded the couch, but Pansy moved the other way around the couch. He loves play fighting with his best friends. It's one of his favourite games. If only these games were a weekly thing then it'd be fun.

__

"Dray, darling..." Pansy stopped as Draco started moving clockwise around the couch. She glared in annoyance at him and quickly jogged around the other side of the couch. As Draco stopped, she put her hands on the couch's back. "Don't you dare do this!" she spat. "You know how much I care about my nails!"

__

Draco laughed intimidatingly as he so wanted to cut her nails. She hurt Harry so he'll hurt her but cutting her nails shorter. "Oh, I know Pans," he said and crawled over the couch to her with a mischievous smile. "Now get over here, I have some nails to cut!"

__

"No!" Pansy squealed and ran to her dormitory from the couch, and when she was out of sight from Draco she smirked.

__

Draco sighed merrily and made his way back to his room to put the nail clippers away. He honestly loved his friends so much; they were so fun! Now it was time to torment Blaise. He-he! But as he arrived at the boy's dormitory, Pansy stood there with two large yellow bottles. Draco could have known what they were from a mile away. His hair products.

__

"Okay, now you are going too far, Ms Parkinson!" Draco told her in a warning tone, narrowing his eyes at her to warn her to stop whatever she's about to do. Merlin, this woman can be a tough one to deal with "Give them here!"

__

"Nope," Pansy said, smirking as she shook her head. "Payback, Dray!" She opened one of the bottles and tipped it upside down, getting ready to squeeze it in case Draco comes too close to her. "Just one squeeze and I will smell the sweet scent of revenge!"

__

"Don't you dare!" Draco spat at her, and his face tightened with irritation and anger. Pansy was just going too far with this. Doesn't she know how important his hair products are to him? "Give me my hair products!"

__

"Nope," Pansy repeated, her smirk only widening. Oh, she loves when she has all power over Draco because of his silly hair products. It just means when she wants something, she can get it easily by intimidating her friend. Looks like she's going to get a free nail job done sooner than she thinks.

__

Draco slowly walked towards her, and he had his hands up in front of him as he neared her like she was a wild animal ready for attack or to run away. He was not going to let her get away with this at all. "Pansy, I swear if you do anything to my hair products..."

__

"Ah, ah, ah!" Pansy waved a finger in disapproval at him for even getting close to her. She's not going to make this easy for him. "Take one more step and I squeeze all of this shampoo and hair gel on the floor. Wouldn't want that, now would you?"

__

Draco stopped, his glare on Pansy has transformed into anger. "Pansy..." He inhaled and held it for ten seconds before exhaling and feeling calm. "Look, I'm sorry... I was just worried for Harry's sake. You saw the look on his face once you dug your sharp cat-like nails into his arm!"

__

Pansy closed the lid on the shampoo bottle she was going to squeeze and smiled. She was glad this was over. Although, she really would have squeezed a little bit of Draco's shampoo and conditioner out of the bottle. Then her features softened. "Yes, I saw and what do you think was up with him?"

__

"I don't know, Pans..." Draco said and sounded a little worried. He was hiding his actual emotions deep inside himself just so he doesn't look like his worrying too much. He doesn't want worry lines, or anything like that. "He looked like he was in a lot of pain... It almost scared me."

__

Pansy banished her best friend's hair products back to the boy's dorm room with her wand. "I know, Dray," she said and walked up to him to give him a hug, wishing they both knew about why Potter's so down looking. She's surprised nearly everyone doesn't see it. Potter's behaviour reminds her of someone else in Slytherin... Ivy Black, of course! But... Potter couldn't be suffering, could he? "I'm proud of you for caring about him that much. He would really appreciate it."

__

Draco hugged her back gently, thinking how lucky he was in his life to have such a great friend. Who he wants to find is Harry so he can ask if he's alright. "Yeah... I'm-"

__

"-Very worried for him," Pansy finished his sentence as it was obvious Draco would say the same thing. "Yes, Dray. I know. Blaise and I know. I am so glad you made a truce with him as well. Ivy is so proud of you too. You have no clue how happy she is now. You know how much she's been through. She's even given up looking for her blades which I have hidden in many different places in the Dungeons. Well, I hope she's given up looking for them. She has no idea how many spells I had to cast on them so she can't accio them to her." She pulled out of the hug with a smile and rose her hand to caress the whitish blonde hair.

__

Draco pulled away from her touch and glared at her. She knows that she and a lot more others know that he doesn't like his hair touched. "Don't touch my hair!" he sneered and took a step back. "My hair is only to be touched by..." He stopped before he could say anything else and a certain someone's name.

__

Pansy rose an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't believe it. "Merlin!" she gasped and realized what this meant. "Harry has touched your hair and you let him!" She almost squealed in excitement.

__

Draco chuckled at his best friend and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, yeah..." He smiled at the memory, wishing he could see Harry again. All he wishes is for Harry to be okay and somewhere doing something fun.

__

Pansy just smiled at him, seeing the need in Draco's eyes to see Potter again. Honestly, she and Ivy really need to do something to get the two together quicker. "You never let Ivy, Blaise, me, or anyone else for that matter touch your hair," she says, then poked at his arm with a grin on her face. "So, when will you ask him out?"

__

"Ask who out?" The two Slytherins turned their heads to look at their other best friend. Blaise Zabini. Maybe they were a bit too loud. Draco hoped the entire Slytherin house didn't hear them. 

__

"Potter, of course!" Pansy said and beamed at Blaise's' surprised expression. He should be surprised since it's obvious that Draco's so in love with Potter and she really needs to get them together with a little help from Ivy. The question is how they can do that.

__

"Pansy!" Draco hissed, and glared at her. Could she be more annoying, and can she shut the hell up? "Shut it!"

__

Pansy ignored Draco and smiled at Blaise, really wanting her other friend to hear this. "I'm asking him when he'll finally ask Potter out," she told him in an excited tone, and she was nearly bouncing on her feet.

__

"Oh, really?" Blaise asked and looked at Draco with a smirk, wondering when that really will happen. He knows of Draco's crush on Harry. It's pretty obvious too. He keeps catching Draco staring over at the Gryffindor table and directly at Harry every day. "So, Draco, when will that be?"

__

Draco groaned and headed into his dormitory. He really had no idea when he will be able to do that. It was so nerve-wracking even being next to Harry. The Gryffindor makes his heart hammer in his chest and stomach flutter every time he was looking at him or near him and only him. He sat on the end of his bed and sighed, thinking about emerald green eyes, and smiled.

__

*****

__

As soon as Lunch came around, Harry walked into the Great Hall and sat down next to Hermione on the Gryffindor table facing the Slytherins. He didn't want to come to lunch today, but the professor had informed them last night that he wanted to speak to everyone about something special. So, even if he dreaded going to the Great Hall and wanted to just sulk in his bed with the curtains drawn around him, he just had to come.

__

When Dumbledore rose from his seat, everyone in the room grew quiet and stared at the headmaster. "Welcome all to lunch," the headmaster said. "Now, I don't normally speak at lunch, but this is an important thing that needs to be discussed. The Yule Ball."

__

There were whispers and murmurs going around the Great Hall about the sudden event that will take place.

__

"Yes, how very exciting! It will be on a Saturday after the first task, just two months from now," the headmaster said, giving big a smile with twinkling blue eyes. "Your parents already know of the dates as they were sent out when the term started. You are all required to wear dress robes. That is all."

__

Everyone had returned to eating, discussing what they'll wear and who to take. Dumbledore was about to head back to his seat but decided to say a few last words. "Actually...." Every head turned back to the headmaster and Dumbledore smiled at everyone. "Only muggle-borns and some half-bloods will get this joke. Why does Voldemort prefer Twitter over Facebook?"

__

The whole Great Hall was silent, people dropped their food as the mention of he-who-shall-not-be-named, but Dumbledore seemed to not care. "Because he has followers, not friends," the headmaster said, wiping back a tear of joy.

__

There was a lot of loud laughter at that joke. Dean, Colin, his brother, and Hermione obviously got the joke as well as some other muggle born Ravenclaws, Slytherins, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. "That is all," the headmaster said with a cheerful smile.

__

"Oh, a Yule Ball," said Hermione who sounded quite intrigued in this new event, and she smiled behind her at the Slytherin table. She had no idea who to take, or if she should wait for someone to ask her. "Who do you think you'll go with?"

__

Harry shrugged, not really caring about the Yule Ball. He'd rather spend the night up in the 4th year boy's dormitory where he can wallow in self-pity for not going and seeing how incredible Draco looks. He would rather be isolated and alone than go to some dance. Unless someone asks him... then yeah, he will probably go. Though who he wishes to go with is Draco.

__

"Harry! You have to find a date to the Yule Ball, it's what the Tri-Wizard contestants have to do," Hermione said sternly while piling some food on her plate and never letting her eyes go from Harry. She was good at multitasking especially when her eyes aren't watching what her hands are doing.

__

Harry shrugged again and stared down at an ant that was crawling over the table. He just didn't care. He then remembered he had to tell Hermione about Draco. The real truth about him and Draco. "Hermione?"

__

Hermione gave her friend a small smile, though she was a little annoyed that Harry wasn't responding to her about dates to the Yule Ball. "Yes?" she asked and stabbed her fork in an egg which made Harry wince a little.

__

"Let's just say when school started, Draco made a truce with me," Harry said to her and looked her in the eye just so she knows he isn't lying. Why would he lie about something so great? The truce really has been the best thing that has ever happened to him this year. "What would you say?"

__

Hermione shrugged but then looked up from her toast, into his eyes which she knew told the truth and stared at him in disbelief. "Wait... Harry, you're not joking, right?" she asked him. This must be some sort of joke. "Malfoy actually made a truce with you?"

__

Harry nodded at her with a fake smile, hoping she believes him. Then he looked behind her at the Slytherin table and ogled Draco, "Not joking." Merlin, Draco seems to always look perfect every single damned day with his damned styled hair, perfect mouth, shiny teeth, stunning silver eyes, handsome face. "Harry!" He didn't even hear Hermione calling his name as he was too lovestruck to hear her.

__

"Harry!" Hermione said and tried getting her friend's attention back. She sighed with relief and hit him on the shoulder with the book she had with her. "That's wonderful, Harry! When did this happen?" She had to know but guessed it would have been around the start of the year.

__

"In Care of Magical Creatures," Harry told her simply and stared down at the food in front of him on the table. He honestly wasn't hungry, and it seemed that Hermione doesn't care if he's eating or not. How sad... Just to see if he does get a reaction, he grabbed at a piece of French toast and began nibbling on it. "The first lesson of the year."

__

Hermione bit her lip, trying to hold down a squeal from the exciting news she was being fed from her best friend. "Tell me more!" she said at once with a great smile on her mouth. It was obvious she wanted to hear lots more and Harry just didn't know where to start.

__

"He saw me flying on my Firebolt," Harry said and chucked a grape at Hermione to silence her as she was about to say something to him. She chuckled and threw it back at him, but it missed and instead hit a Slytherin behind him, but the grape went in the hood of their robe. Oops! "And before you say anything, yes I know I'm not allowed to ride my Firebolt, but I just needed something to do." He filled his goblet up with pumpkin juice and took a sip just to wash the French Toast down.

__

"Tell me more!" Hermione said excitingly, and her eyes gleamed as her grin grew wider. She was just so curious to know what else happened between Harry and Malfoy as it was noticeable that they have been getting along quite well together. "What happened? Did he watch you? Did you guys talk?"

__

Harry tried to smile as he was remembering that day out in the Quidditch Pitch. "Yes, we talked," he said with a little nod and he picked at his French Toast, trying to eat more. "I never knew he was watching me until I saw his hair glowing on the stands." Hermione giggled at him, knowing how lovestruck Harry can be. Harry didn't know what else to tell her, he knows Draco would rather keep the secret places just that, secret. He sighed and stared down at the ant who's trying to steal a bit of bread crumb from his half-eaten French Toast.

__

"Anything else you want to tell me?" Hermione asked him and dished herself up some potato salad. Her feet were drumming under the table, she was still excited to hear more.

__

"No...," Harry said blankly. He took a sip of his pumpkin juice and looked over at Draco. He saw Draco wriggle his fingers at him, wink, and smile. Harry just lost his control; he opened his mouth wanting to smile and talk back but the pumpkin juice spilled out of his mouth and onto his lap. He flushed with embarrassment, glancing down at his goblet, and placed it back on the table. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, muttered a drying charm, and looked back over at Hermione with a shy smile. Goodness, Draco makes him go crazy.

__

The Slytherin Table

__

Draco chuckled at Harry, knowing how cute he can be at times. He wondered what happened and why Harry spilt his drink on himself. "Maybe because he likes you," a voice in his head said. That wasn't a voice. That was his best friend Pansy Parkinson whispering into his ear. "No, Pansy," he whispered back but looked down at his sausages. "Someone so amazing like him could never like someone like me that way.

__

Pansy rolled her eyes at him, not believing what's coming out of his mouth. "Alright," she says with a shake of her head, wondering where Draco Malfoy went. "Suit yourself but don't come running to me when he asks you out."

__

Ivy sighed miserably; she didn't know what she was going to do with this Yule Ball thing coming up. She normally never goes to these kinds of things, they weren't fun. "So, who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"

__

Draco shrugged, continuing to look over at Harry. "I'd love to go with Harry but I'm sure tons of girls are all going to swarm him and ask him to be their partners," he said with a little frown. He wished he could go with harry but he doesn't have the courage to ask him. He can try but he knows he will chicken out. As soon as he knew he was staring he looked back down at the table and checked his nails out to distract him.

__

Ivy continued dipping her spoon in a bowl of tomato soup which she is able to eat and drink. Soups were easy to digest. "Oh, Draco. You know you can just ask him," she says earnestly. "It'll probably make the dare easier to do since you'll be dancing with him."

__

Draco looked back at his cousin and thought about the perfect night. He could picture himself and Harry dancing a slow dance, looking into each other's eyes, and kissing. Oh, what a dream. "I'll try asking him," he said in a promising tone and moved the food on his plate around with a fork. "Not sure if I have the bravery to do so though."

__

Ivy shook her head, disagreeing with her cousin about having the courage to do something so simple. "Everyone has Bravery, Draco," she tells him, wetting her lips as they were a little dry. "You just need to give in to it when the time comes."

__

Draco crossed his arms over the table and laid his head down on them. "This is hopeless!" he tells the table with a frown nobody could see. "I'm not going to be able to do it."

__

Ivy sighed and patted her cousins' head, to his displeasure. She liked doing it anyway. Annoying her cousin was fun. "You will be able to do it, I believe in you," she told him softly.

__

"Don't touch my hair!" Draco muttered as he looked up and stared at a basket of green and red apples in front of him. He leaned over a bit and stared at Harry dreamily from across the Great Hall.

__

Ivy chuckled as she drew her hand back from her cousin's head and continued to stare dreamily at a girl at the Gryffindor table with long curly dirty-blonde hair.

__

*****

__

Harry was walking to his next class, which was Charms. It was a short walk, not too far from the Great Hall and it had really good views of the mountains and the countryside in the far distance. As he stared at the mountains, he wondered what it would feel to be free as an eagle soared through the sky in the distance.

__

Draco didn't realize Harry was standing at one of the windows that showed the mountains and countryside. He walked over and stood by him, looking out at the beautiful landscape in front of him. He remembered the promise Ivy made him do, this would probably be a good place to do it. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

__

Harry turned around to face his favourite Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. "Yeah, he is," He said but then hesitated as he just couldn't believe what he said and admitted right in front of his crush. He felt his cheeks warm up with a blush. "I mean- it is-," he said with a nervous smile and laugh. "Definitely! The view-. Yes, very pretty."

__

Draco tried to hide the blush that crept up his neck and cheeks from what Harry said. Did Harry really just admit that Draco is Beautiful? No, he only meant the scenery. He smiled at the stuttering Harry Potter besides him. "Um, I was wondering?" he asked, biting down on his lip nervously.

__

"Yeah?" Harry asked distractedly as he was getting lost looking at the mountains in the distance. The distraction was actually Draco, but he didn't want it to be obvious. He didn't want Draco finding out about his little crush on him.

__

Draco looked out at the scenery, thinking maybe it would help him a bit. When he was about to ask, he felt a little nervous and shook his head. "Never mind. We better get to class," he says and turns away from the window to face Harry. "If you feel like you can't walk into a class next to me for some reason, I can give you a head start if you want."

__

"It's not that I don't want to, I really would love having to enter class with you and even sit by you," Harry says truthfully with a half-smile towards the blonde Slytherin. "I just don't like the attention it gives me but I'm sure I'll get over it someday. See you in class!" He then started to walk to charms, trying to wonder what Draco was going to ask him.

__

"Hurry up, Potter! You're walking slower than my grandmother when she's shopping!" Draco yelled with a smirk though the Grandmother part was a lie. She's unfortunately not alive anymore and he never got to know her either.

__

Harry chuckled silently and walked a little faster per the Slytherin's request. It took him a good minute to make it to Charms in time and sat down next to Seamus since he knew Hermione would rather sit alone than get disturbed by others and friends. And Ron... he didn't want to be anywhere near him.

__

"Hello, Harry," Seamus said with a small smile. He wondered if Harry had forgotten what he saw at the Quidditch World cup where he and Dean were holding hands. He wouldn't mind, of course. He doesn't even care if Harry finds out about Dean and his big secret.

__

Harry got out his quill and parchment from his bag and placed them on the table he shared with Seamus. "Hello, Seamus," he said in a warm tone. He doesn't see Seamus much, or Dean. He just prefers to be alone. "How's your day been?"

__

"Good," Seamus said and decided to doodle a little on his parchment to pass the time. Beside him, Dean was watching Seamus draw, but he also added a few little doodles to Seamus' parchment too.

__

Harry frowned as he wasn't asked the same question back. Why didn't Seamus ask how his day's been? Of course, Harry would have lied and said 'I'm fine' but it's still polite to ask. Does he not care about him or something? He really shouldn't be thinking this low. Harry saw a glimpse of Draco entering the classroom, and as he passed, Harry smelt Vanilla and citrus. He melted into his seat, staring as Draco sat down next to his goons.

__

"Say, Harry," Seamus said in a curious voice, nudged him with his elbow and winked at him. He's a little curious himself about Harry's love life since his fellow Gryffindor likes to isolate himself for some unknown reason. "Have ye got yer sights on a certain girl?"

__

"Not a girl, Seamus", Harry muttered and shook his head. He looked back down at his parchment after seeing Pansy smiling knowingly at him, and poke Draco on the arm. Darn it! He knew she was going to tell Draco that he had been staring at him.

__

"Ohhhhhhhhh, who's the guy then?" Seamus asked as he raised an eyebrow, repeatedly poking him on the arm. Now, this was getting intriguing to hear and he wanted to know so much more about the love life of Harry Potter if there is one. Who's this guy Harry has his eyes on, 8and does he know him?

__

Harry was about to say something such as 'Nobody special', but the professor came into view. At last, the class was starting. He had time to stare over at Draco and not get caught doing so. Well, he hoped he wouldn't get caught.

__

In a second, the Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, jumps up onto his desk and said in a bubbly tone, "Good afternoon, students." He smiles at his students who all appeared to look happy that they're in his class. However, that wasn't entirely true. The only people who enjoyed his class is Hermione, Pansy, Harry, and Blaise.

__

Every student in the room said, "Good afternoon, Professor."

__

"Now, does anybody know what the Charm 'Anteoculatia' does?" the professor asked in a squeaky voice. His head turned to the only person in the room who had raised her hand which was Hermione Granger. She had a proud smile on her face as she knew about the charm. "Ah, Ms Granger. Do enlighten us on what the charm does, please?"

__

Hermione still had that proud smile on her face and her chin was held high as she clearly says, "The Charm 'Anteoculatia is the incantation of a hex that grows antlers on the head of the target." She loves reading and knowing what spells and charms are when nobody else does.

__

"Very good, Ms Granger," said Professor Flitwick with a satisfied smile towards the young lady. "20 points to Gryffindor!" Cheers were heard across the room to where the Gryffindor's sat, though there were some 'booing's' coming from Slytherins.

__

Harry looked to the Slytherins booing but only saw that Crabbe, Nott, and Goyle were insolent to Hermione's knowledge. It was a relief to know that Draco had no part in the booing, not that Harry would ever think his favourite Slytherin would do such a thing.

__

The professor glared at the three Slytherins and their bad behaviour before returning to look at his class. "Alright students, settle down, settle down," he told them in a slightly stern voice. "Now, today I want you all to grab a partner and practice the spell on each other. Also, if you'd like to know, it doesn't hurt."

__

Harry wondered what partner he would be chosen to be with. He'd like to be with Hermione for a change since she's the best witch he knows of and wouldn't mess up the spell. Or Seamus and Dean. They would be nice to practice spells on. But who he wishes more than anything to be partners with is Draco.

__

There was a loud set of 'yesses' all throughout the classroom. Although, there were a few bangs and cracks coming from somewhere to the right side of the classroom where the Slytherin's are.

__

The professor looked to where the banging had come from. Of course, the Slytherins. He sighed and raised his voice. "It appears that some of you have made it very clear you are not to be trusted with picking partners. So instead, I'll pick for you." Groans were heard around the room, but the tiny professor ignored them. "Neville Longbottom and Theodore Nott."

__

Neville buried his head in his arms and shook his head while Theodore glared at him from over at the Slytherin's side of the room. He went over with a sigh to the Gryffindor and sat net to him but mainly ignored him.

__

"Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson. Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini!"

__

Ron glared over at Blaise, but Blaise didn't really care so he happily moved next to Ron. He found the Gryffindor is a pretty nice guy to hang with though he was being ignored. He knows he won't be ignored for very long though.

__

"Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas," the professor said, looking at the people he has chosen. "Lavender Brown and Gregory Goyle. Parvati Patil and Vincent Crabbe."

__

Seamus and Dean gave each other lovingly stares and intertwined their hands from under the table. Harry saw this and thought it was kind of... sweet. While lavender, Goyle, Crabbe, Parvati and Nott were all glaring at each other.

__

"Last but not least, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy," the professor said, and he smiled over at the Slytherin who was getting up from his seat to join the Gryffindor over the other side of the room. At least he wasn't frowning or sneering at the sudden change of seating plan.

__

Harry felt someone sit down next to him, and he could smell that captivating scent of citrus and vanilla. He could see the whiteish blonde hair from the corner of his eye, and how perfect and styled it looked.

__

Draco sat down next to Harry with a smile. He always loved getting partnered with Harry, even if he has to use his Malfoy Mask at times. "Hello Harry," he said a little quietly, so nobody really hears him saying Harry's name. "I'm glad to see you made it to class."

__

Harry turned his head to face his new friend but also his crush. He looked him deep in his silver eyes and gave him a little smile. "Yeah, same here," he told him, and he sees a sparkle in those eyes which makes his heart flutter. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be stuck here with you," he added cheekily.

__

Draco stared back into those brilliant Emerald Green eyes of Harry Potter. He gives a fake and dramatic sigh." Oh, poor Harry Potter," he teased with a smirk on his lips.

__

Harry was getting so lost in those eyes of Draco Malfoy's, but he remembered what he should be doing with Draco. "Anteoculatia!" he whispered and pointed his wand at Draco. A stream of dark forest green magic came out of his wand and hit Draco on the head and deer antlers started to grow from his head.

__

Draco blinked as Harry had just cast the spell on him silently. "Very sneaky, Harry," he says, and he smiles at this cheeky Harry he never knew existed. He likes this sneaky Harry and getting to know him more. Perhaps being in classes will make them closer together. "Very Slytherin of you."

__

Harry remembered the hat saying the exact same thing to him. He chuckled at the antler horns on top of Draco's head and he had to admit that they kind of suit him and made him look... handsomely adorable. "The antlers suit you; you know?" he said as he felt his face redden with a blush that snuck up from his neck.

__

Draco raised his hands to his hair and felt the antlers sticking out of his head. He blushed as Harry complimented him and he noticed that Harry never stopped staring at him and his antlers. "Uh-... Thank you, Harry."

__

Harry had to repeat that again in his mind. Draco Malfoy just thanked him. "It's no problem, Draco," he said with a small smile and glanced down at the blonde's lips. He quickly looked over his shoulder at Ron and Blaise, they both seemed to be sneakily casting the spell on students who were not doing what they were supposed to do. He smiled weakly at his friend; glad he was having fun even if he was still annoyed at him.

__

Draco nodded at the gratitude shown from Harry and returned a smile. He watched as Harry looked over to Weasley and Blaise, he knew something was up with Harry and the Weasel, but he just didn't know what. "Anteoculatia!" he whispered as Harry wasn't watching.

__

Harry felt something funny happening to his head and reached up to his hair to feel what's happening. He felt his own antlers on his head, and he looked over at Draco who was smiling and... blushing? "Hey! Uncalled for!"

__

Draco smirked at Harry and his moose antlers which fit his raven hair quite well and he looked very... cute. "Oh, but it was called for," he said in a mocking tone of voice. Merlin, he would love to see Harry in all the antlers he can charm onto him as possible. "You had your go, so it was my turn."

__

Harry actually smiled at Draco. True smiling was quite rare for him as he would always use fake smiles but for Draco, it seemed he could give him real ones. "Two can play that game," he said boldly as he pointed his wand at Draco. "Anteoculatia!"

__

Elk antlers replaced Draco's deer antlers on top of his head and Draco felt the new antlers Harry gave him with his hand and pointed his wand back at Harry. "Anteoculatia!" Oh, it was so on! If he's going to be antlered up, so will Harry. But he likes seeing that charming smile form on Harry's lips, the lips he so wants to claim his own and kiss with all the love he has for the boy.

__

Harry's moose antlers were replaced with Caribou antlers. He laughed at the fun he was having with Draco and Rapidly enough, Draco started laughing as well. This is the most fun he's had in ages besides Draco showing him the secret places in Hogwarts.

__

Sooner than later, Draco and Harry joined Ron and Blaise in casting the charm on other students. Hitting Padma, Lavender, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott with reindeer ears, the whole class laughed at the five reindeer students. Especially Goyle with a red nose as Dean kept calling him Rudolph.

__

Dean, Harry, and Hermione kept calling the reindeer students Prancer, Vixen, Rudolph, Dasher and Blitzen because it was hilarious and it all excited them up for Christmas even though Hogwarts and the Wizarding world don't celebrate Christmas liked muggles do with Santa and his reindeers.

__

With a flick of the professor's wand, the reindeer antlers on the five students had disappeared. "Alright students, it's time for your next class," the professor yelled out to his students who were all laughing joyfully.

__

Harry couldn't believe it; the time had gone by so fast. "Wow, that hour-long lesson felt like it was only a minute!" He said to Draco who still was beside him. He realized he had Transfiguration next. Oh, at least it wasn't that bad though he didn't really get the incantations right at times.

__

Draco nodded, agreeing with Harry that the lesson ended quite quickly. "Do you want to walk with me to Transfigurations?" he suddenly asked him even though he could be seen by others but that really didn't matter right now. He just wants to spend as much time as he can with Harry.

__

"Sure!" Harry replied whilst placing his quill and parchment back in his bag. He watched Draco go to the exit of the classroom but stay at the door waiting for him. He didn't realize until Draco turned to look at him that he was staring at his ass. He needs to stop doing that.

__

Draco smiled as he realized that Harry had been looking at him for what he guesses is a few seconds... or minutes. How he wishes Harry feels the same way as he does. He could only hope that he does. "Are you coming, Harry?"

__

Harry nodded and quickly walked up to Draco and made their way to Transfiguration. He smiled to himself because of the fun he had with Draco throughout his lessons. He entered the transfiguration classroom and he sat down at a desk behind Dean who was sitting next to Seamus. He knew Draco sat down beside him and he smiled as he was getting used to this. There was a tabby cat sitting on Professor McGonagall's desk, swishing her tail and everyone knew that was McGonagall. After Harry and Draco entered, Lavender, Ron, and some other Slytherins entered the classroom and found seats.

__

Harry looked at the Professor in her Animagus form, remembering back in the first year when he and Ron came late to their first Transfiguration class. It was not a good impression at all. Not even to Draco back then he felt like an idiot when coming late.

__

The professor counted the number of students in her room, all of them were thankfully present. She then transformed back into her human form, still leaving a stern look on her face. "Good afternoon, class."

__

"Afternoon, Professor," every student replied. The professor smiled but something caught her eye. Someone, actually. A third-year Hufflepuff by the name of Colin Creevey. Colin Creevey, who was not in the fourth year and was definitely not in Gryffindor or Slytherin, raised his hand from the back-left seat of the classroom.

__

"Mr Creevey!" said Professor McGonagall, and everyone turned their heads to look at the younger boy. "What are you doing in my classroom?"

__

"Sorry Mrs," said Colin, flushing as everyone was staring at him. How embarrassing. He thought he has Transfigurations class now. If he doesn't have Transfigurations, then what class does he have now? "Don't I have Transfiguration now?"

__

"Charms, Mr Creevey. You have Charms class," Professor McGonagall corrected him. She's a little disappointed that he wouldn't know his schedule by heart, and she was a little annoyed by the title he gave her. "Tell me, why do you call us Professor's Mrs or Mr when you know very well that we're professors?"

__

"Never mind, Ms- I mean professor," said Colin, the flush on his face slightly fading as people started looking away but he knew they were listening closely. "I'll just go... and thanks."

__

"Very well, Mr Creevey," said Professor McGonagall. She had a class to teach anyway. "This spell is used when fighting others. It was very popular in the sword and shield error in time such as back in Merlin and King Arthur's time. Now, who can tell me what the spell 'Lapis Parma' is?"

__

Hermione raised her hand high up in the air, knowing the answer right away.

__

The professor sighed as she rather someone else answer questions than Ms Granger. "Anyone else apart from Ms Granger?" the professor asked, looking around the room. As nobody else put their hand up, the professor sighed in disappointment and said, "Very well, Ms Granger."

__

Hermione smiled and lowered her hand. "Lapis Parma is a transfiguration spell that is used to turn medium objects into a shield," she states proudly, and she grins as she knows more than everyone in this room, besides McGonagall. "However, its twin spell is 'Lapis Gladio', which is used to turn medium objects into a stone sword."

__

"Very good, Ms Granger," said Professor McGonagall with a relaxed smile. One thing is for sure, she enjoys the students who know about the spells beforehand. "20 points to Gryffindor! Now, go ahead and practice the spell on these muggle pencil cases."

__

Everyone started turning their pencil cases into a heavy shield after the professor instructed them to do and some even asked Hermione to repeat the sword spell. Hermione knew perfectly well that her classmates are not mature enough to have swords in their possessions, so she didn't tell them about the spell.

__

Harry turned his pencil case into a shield, weakly smiling to himself as he could do the spell. He watched nearly all the Gryffindor guys ask Hermione for that sword spell and he chuckled as he watched Hermione keep a straight face. He could never do that; he'd easily feel as if his emotional walls were built up and he had to get away from that situation. He watched Neville and Theodore Nott smiling at each other and he watched as they both gathered their own teams. Neville grabbed Seamus and Dean and Nott grabbed two other boys.

__

Harry watched as the boys were pretending to be in a sword battle One of the Slytherin boys said "Ducklis" and turned Dean's shield into a rubber duck. Dean dropped the duck in surprise and hid behind Seamus. Harry watched as Draco turned his pencil case into a shield in no time, he watched as Draco's smile grew and oh, how he loved that smile. It always seemed to brighten up his day.

__

Finally, after a good 30 minutes of class, it was over and Herbology was next as Transfiguration and Herbology were single classes which means for the first 30 minutes of the afternoon was half a class of Transfiguration and the end was Herbology for the rest. All the boys were carrying their shields, Hermione was giggling because those shields were going to turn back into pencil cases in a matter of time.

__

Harry sighed at his classmates; glad they were having fun. He put his transfiguration textbook in his bag and made his way to Herbology with Draco. They passed the many students of Hogwarts, even seeing Fred and George chasing after Ms Norris. They passed greenhouse 1 and 2, sneaking a peek inside to see the different plants growing out of each pot. Finally, he entered greenhouse 3 to where his class was and to where white looking flowers were situated in the middle of a long table. Padma and Lavender entering the greenhouse from behind Harry and Draco.

__

"I'm going to sit with Pansy, if you don't mind," Draco told Harry, and Harry nodded and made his way to a table beside Neville, catching Draco looking over at him. He sat down with a smile and looked over at the chalkboard, wondering what the professor was going to teach them. Harry took a quick glance over at Draco, their eyes met and they both looked the other way with a blush on their cheeks.

__

"Hello, my lovelies," said professor sprout, who came in from her office and went to the front of the greenhouse to the chalkboard. She smiles at her class and got to work in writing what the class needed to do on the blackboard.

__

"Good afternoon, professor," the students all chorused and some of them tried to read what the professor had written. It was actually a little hard to read since she writes so small.

__

"Today we're going to be handling Sneezewort," Professor Sprout said in a light voice as she turned to look at her class after writing what she needed to. "Can anybody tell me about the plant, the origin and the uses of it?"

__

Hermione's hand shot up rapidly.

__

"Ah, Ms Granger?" the professor asked her. It wasn't a surprise at all as Hermione always knew something beforehand. She could probably give the girl a whole essay about plants that the class will learn about in the near future and she would get them all right.

__

"Sneezewort is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the genus 'Achillea'," said Hermione and lowered her hand with a smile. "Its origin is in Europe and North America. These plants are most effective in the inflaming of the brain and are therefore much used in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts, where the wizard is desirous of producing hot-headedness and recklessness. The leaves can be uses for insect repellant. It is used as an ingredient in the making of various potions, such as the Befuddlement Draught and the Strong Invigoration Draught."

__

"Well done, Ms Granger. 20 points to Gryffindor!"

__

Neville noticed Harry seemed a little down, which he has been seeing a lot lately. He gave Harry a little tap on the shoulder and Harry flinched at the sudden gesture and smiled back at him. Neville knew that was a forced smile as he knew them well. Even he lets out a few fake smiles here and there. He wanted to ask if everything's okay, but the professor interrupted him by talking.

__

"Now, please try your best to not smell the plant, as it will make you sneeze a lot," the professor warned her class. "And write a detailed description of the Sneezewort on your parchments please."

__

Harry got out his parchment and quill, he did his best to write a description of the plant. He wrote, The outer petal colour is a much snowier white colour than the inner flower petals, which have a translucent lemon colour. The middle of the flower has a lemony yellow colour, where all the moisture is processed by the plant to make people sneeze. In fact, the plant stem is a special colour of mint. Though the plant's leaves are often the same mint colour as the stem. Once he finished writing he glanced behind him, Emerald green eyes meeting Silver.

__

Draco smiled at Harry and actually wished he was back next to him. He just didn't want to leave Pansy alone in case Nott starts flirting with her. He doesn't actually care about the flirting, but Pansy's told him that sometimes Nott gets a little... sensual. The boy tries getting sexual, but Pansy just walks away. In this case, she would be stuck with him since she wouldn't be able to move from her desk.

__

Harry smiled back at Draco and gave him a wink as he caught him staring again. He will never get used to it. But his smile wasn't one that reached his eyes like everyone else's could. It was forced like it mainly is. The only one who could see beyond that fake smile was Neville and Draco.

__

Draco tried to hold down a blush that was rising from his neck, but it was too late. He had been caught by Pansy who elbowed him in the arm with a big grin on her face. Why couldn't she just do her work and ignore him until class is over?

__

You're blushing the colour of my mom's red lipstick, Draco," she whispered and sneakily drew a quick heart on the bottom left edge of his parchment. Inside the heart she wrote in small letters 'Harry'. She smirked at the heart and just hoped Potter would come over here and accidentally see the heart. She should be calling him Harry now since Draco and Harry are friends now.

__

Draco narrowed his eyes at Pansy, his best friend. At least she was quiet when she admitted how apparently red his own face is. "I know, I can't help it," he said with a dreamy smile over at Harry, and then he checked out his nails to distract himself from Harry, but it was just too hard.

__

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest, still wondering if he did the promise he was asked to do. She's be disappointed if he didn't. This is a very important question her friend needs to ask Harry. "Have you done the promise Ivy asked you, or even asked him to the Yule Ball?"

__

Draco shook his head, still wondering when he'd be able to have the bravery and courage and do it. "No, it's nerving." But then he saw it and he panicked. A heart with Harry's name in the middle was on the corner of his parchment and the heart wasn't even small. It was at least twice the size of his thumbnail. He rubbed at it with the sleeve of his robe to get it off, but it didn't come off or even smudge. He groaned quietly and looked over at his best friend, glaring at her once more.

__

"Draco, you promised her!" Pansy snapped quietly just to stop him from trying to ruin her little doodle. It would rub off but with a special type of fabric which she keeps in her robe pocket. "It's hard enough keeping her from her stabby's, you don't want to hurt her even more now do you?"

__

Draco looked down at the table, admiring all the small outlines of carvings students have made in the past. "You know I'd never hurt her, not in the state she's in. Not ever.," he told her in a flat voice and knew how hard it was to keep her blades hidden from her. "Have you hidden her stabby's in places she'd never find, even if she is in the 6th year?"

__

Pansy nodded her head and sighed a little sadly. The state Ivy is in really makes her understand that this world can really be cruel. "Yeah, I've hidden them in the most secretive of places. Nobody will ever find them, not even Dumbledore could."

__

Draco ran his finger over the carvings on his wooden desk until an interesting looking carving with initials caught his eye. "Good. I really don't want to lose her, she's like a sister to me," he said and studied this initial carved inside a heart. "I've told her everything including my crush which you also know of," he said as he recognized the initials of the carving in a heart shape. The initials were J+L in a carved heart, Draco recognized it as James + Lily, Harry's parents. "Pansy!" He pointed to the initials inside the heart, completely forgetting about the heart on his parchment. "Look at these initials!"

__

Pansy looked down at where Draco pointed and saw the carved heart shape and the initials on the inside. "Aww!" she said sweetly and wondered who these people were. "That's adorable. Whoever they were must have really been in love."

__

Draco chuckled at his oblivious friend. Couldn't she see it? These were Harry's parents. "Don't you know who's initials they are?" he asked and wondered what a carved heart with his initials and Harry's would be like. He had an urge to do it already.

__

Pansy shook her head at him, not knowing who these initials could have been. "Jennifer and Lucilla?" she suggested and smiled at the thought of a Lesbian couple creating this. It would be so cute though!

__

Draco rolled his eyes at her. How could she still not know? It is so obvious! "No, James and Lily," he whispered to her. He didn't want to draw attention to them by mentioning Harry's parents, so he had to keep quiet about this. "Harry's parents."

__

Pansy read over the initials, not sure if they could be the actual James and Lily Potter they were thinking of. "I'm not sure if that's correct, Draco," she says with a slow shake of her head, and she traced the initials with her finger. "There could have been many people with J and L as their first name."

__

Draco sighed. If this were the initials of Harry's parents, he knew that Harry would want to be able to see past memories from his parents. He then remembered he had to write a description of the sneezing plant thing, so he studied it. The petals were kind of a snowy white, the stem and leaves were a mint green colour. He wrote it all down in a more detailed description, writing, "The colour of the outer petals is a far snowier white colour than the inner petals of the flower, which has a creamy lemon colour. The center of the flower had a lemony yellow colour, which is where the plant stores all the liquid to make people sneeze. Moreover, the stem of the plant is a unique mint colour. Although, the leaves of the plant also are the same mint colour with the stem."

__

Draco re-read over his writing to make sure it made sense, he put his parchment to the side and glanced up to see Harry twirling his quill on his cheek. He thought that was kind of cute, watching Harry stare absentmindedly out the window like there was something outside that's more important than class.

__

Harry was bored, he'd finished the description of the flower easily. He watched everyone in front of him scratching their quills on their paper or thinking how to word a sentence. He then looked back behind him and noticed he was being watched. He winked at Draco again and stretched out his arms. He saw the blonde's cheeks turn a pretty pink rose colour which satisfied him. Since he had finished writing about the plant, he raised his hand.

__

The professor looked up from her desk, seeing a student raise their hand. It was Harry Potter. "Yes, dear?"

__

"I've finished my description; can you please check my paper?" Harry asked her and slowly lowered his raised hand, and he looked over at Hermione who also had finished her description of the plant. It must've taken her a few seconds to write a paragraph that was... half a damn page long. How the hell can she do that? "I also want to do something more, so I'm not bored."

__

The professor got up from her desk and she nodded at Hermione to listen. "Sure!" she said as she walked over to Harry's desk. The professor picked up Harry's parchment and scanned over it and liked what she's seeing. "Excellent work, Mr Potter. If you'd like, you can read page 230 in your textbooks since that's what we'll be doing in the next lesson."

__

Harry nodded and opened his textbook to the required page as his professor went over to Hermione to probably tell her what to do. He read the title, 'Fire Seed Bush'. It sounds like an interesting chapter about fire plants, so he got into reading the chapter.

__

Professor Sprout, after telling Hermione about what she can do next, walked around her student's desks, and made sure everyone was doing the right thing. She got to the Slytherin's and checked their progress in writing a description to the plant. She discovered something interesting on Draco Malfoy's parchment he's been writing on. She smiled at the obvious heart doodled on the bottom of the boy's classwork but when she saw whose name was on the inside of the heart, she just couldn't believe it. Does young Mr Malfoy like her other student Harry Potter? She just adores this! "I like the heart, Mr Malfoy," she said quietly beside him and Pansy Parkinson.

__

Draco froze and covered the heart with his hand as a flush rose up his face and beside him, Pansy was snickering, so he elbowed her in the arm to shut up. It shut her up and made her hiss in pain, which Draco actually felt a little guilty for. "Um... that's a mistake- "

__

The professor sighed at his lie and patted him on the shoulder gently. "I know it's not a mistake, young Draco," she says quietly as she knows the Slytherin doesn't want to be heard by the whole class and definitely not by Harry. "I see the way you ogle him during my classes. Go get him before it's too late."

__

Draco looks up at her, but she had already begun walking to the front of the class. He sighed and buried his head in his arms on the table, not believing that happened at all. It couldn't have. His crush has been found out by a teacher.

__

"Even Professor Sprout knows and believes that you really need to ask him out," whispered Pansy as their professor was out of ear range from them. Merlin's Beard that was amazing. "You really should be asking him out, Dray. Time's kind of running out."

__

Draco just groaned silently in his arms and wishes he had covered the heart up with ink. Why didn't he do that in the first place? This whole scenario never would have happened if he did so. "I told you and Ivy that I'll get to it when I can get him alone with me. I promise you and Ivy that I'll do it sometime."

__

"You better," Pansy muttered under her breath though Draco could hear her clearly. "We've been waiting since you two became friends. No, in fact even longer than that." Draco sighs and looks over at Harry, he just can't help it. He catches the Herbology professor talking to Harry and Draco freezes again, hoping his professor wasn't telling Harry about what she saw on the piece of parchment he had and used.

__

Harry looked up at Draco after Professor Sprout left his desk. Apparently, Draco had something important to tell and ask him. He wondered what it would be so when class finished, and everyone was packing up, he snuck down the aisle of desks until he got to Pansy and Draco's desk. "You wanted to ask me something?" he asked the blonde Slytherin and crossed his arms over the desk.

__

Draco swallowed and slowly looked up into eyes that held curiosity. "Um... h-hi," he said, and he grunted on the inside from how silly he sounds. He heard Pansy snort a little which didn't help him at all.

__

Harry smiled at the Slytherin and wondered what's going through that smart brain of his. "Hello to you-" Then he sees it. A heart sketched into the bottom left corner of Draco's paper he's been writing on and inside that heart... Merlin's Beard. He felt a certain heat rise from his neck and cover his face in a light red blush. No, this just cannot be real. That handwriting, however. He knew that wasn't Draco's handwriting so it must have either been Pansy's or someone else's. But why would she write on Draco's work? He looked away and back into those silver eyes. "I- uh..." He bit his lip but then thought that maybe it was a different Harry. He didn't know any other Harry's in Hogwarts though. Technically he doesn't know everyone in Hogwarts. Just a few in his year level.

__

"Harry?" Hermione poked her head back in the greenhouse and looked to where her friend was. She found him talking to Malfoy and Parkinson. She wondered what this was all about, and she hoped she wasn't interrupting anything important. "Harry, are you coming to dinner?"

__

Harry looked behind him at his friend and gave a smile. He forgot about dinner. He actually was going to head to Gryffindor Tower to start on his Divination homework. "Yes, Hermione. I am coming to dinner," he says to her coolly and then looks back at Draco. "Let's continue this later."

__

Draco gives a slow nod and a smile at Harry, relieved that he didn't have to ask him a certain question in front of Pansy. "I'll see you later, Harry," he said nonchalantly and watched Harry giving him a nod back and turning around to walk over to Granger.

__

"It's not that hard to ask out your crush, Draco," Pansy said with a smirk as Harry and Granger was out of ear reach and she had everything packed away ready to dump it in her room down in the dormitory. It's not too hard even though she actually hasn't tried asking her own crush out. "You could have easily said that six worded question in a matter of six seconds."

__

"And what about you, Ms Parkinson?" Draco asked her bitterly as he neatly stacked his items away in his book bag. He could have used magic to put his things away, but he couldn't be bothered to. "Have you found it easy to ask out Granger? Tell me, have you asked her out yet?" Pansy didn't answer him for a few seconds, and Draco knew the answer to his question already. No, she hasn't. "I thought so."

__

Hermione was walking to Harry to the Gryffindor common room just so they can put their books and items away before dinner. She noticed a smile on her friend's face, and she couldn't help but wonder why he was smiling – since she hasn't seen him smile a lot at all and that worried her. Did Malfoy say something to Harry that made him like this? Could he have...? Oh, the possibilities were endless. "Harry, what happened back there?" She decided to give him an easy question then get into the harder ones later on.

__

"What? - oh..." said Harry who was brought out of his thoughts which were filled with Draco and that doodle he saw on the blonde Slytherin's parchment. He really couldn't stop smiling at the thought of Draco actually liking him back. But there could be another Harry in Hogwarts. So, he decided to tell her. "Nothing much. The professor just said that Draco wanted to talk to me and when I got there and started talking to him, I saw..." he paused for a minute, wondering if she should hear this. Fuck it! She really should know. "Hermione, are there other students with the first name 'Harry'?"

__

"I'm not really sure," Hermione said with a shrug, and she looked at him questionably. She wondered what he meant. "I've been listening to every Welcoming feast for the first years and never once have I heard another Harry being called up for being sorted. Why are you asking me this, Harry?"

__

"On the bottom left corner of the sheet Draco was writing on during class, I saw a heart the size of a thumbnail and inside it was the name 'Harry'," he told her with a beaming expression and glowing cheeks. "However, it wasn't in Draco's handwriting. My name, I mean. It wasn't Draco who wrote my name in the heart, so I don't know what to think."

__

Hermione was so close to squealing and shouting at him that the heart was definitely for him, and even if it wasn't his handwriting, why would they put it on Malfoy's work? It had to mean something good. "Oh, Harry. Don't you see what this means at all?!" she asked him. "He likes you for goodness sakes! It may have been Pansy's writing, Or Notts, or someone else's but it's on his parchment he was writing on. C'mon, Harry. Think about this! If you knew who Ron liked, if there was someone, wouldn't you be drawing hearts around that person's name on his work just to tease him?"

__

Harry knew that Hermione had a point, but he just didn't believe that such an incredible guy like Draco would love someone like himself. Someone who's a freak, who cuts himself, who hates himself, who wants to die. It was just unbelievable. Who would like a freak like himself? He shouldn't be thinking this darkly, but the thoughts just took over. "Maybe he did it for a joke, Hermione," he said a little wretchedly as they entered the common room from the portrait after Hermione said the password.

__

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione said in disbelief at her friend who cannot seem to see that Draco likes him. God, he's oblivious to the moon. "Who would literally draw a heart and put your name in it for a joke? Nobody would. Not unless they like you, Harry. Do you see what I'm saying here?"

__

Harry knew exactly what Hermione was saying but he still couldn't believe it. "I know what you mean, Hermione," he said and dumbed his bookbag on a free couch in the common room. He sat down with a smile, thinking that there could be hope for him to build his friendship with Draco.

__

Hermione smiled and pulled him up from the couch, taking his book bag too. "Let's head to dinner, Harry," she told him and ushered him upstairs towards the boy's dormitory, throwing his book bag up to him. "You can stare at Draco for as long as you want when inside the Great Hall."

__

Harry didn't mind that idea at all, even if he wouldn't be eating anything. He tried eating something after he and Hermione put their book bags and items back up in their dormitories and went to the Great Hall, but he only ate half a bowl of Chicken Mornay. Hermione was right about the fact that Harry would be sneaking glances towards the Slytherin table as he did that a lot. He just couldn't believe that Draco out of all people could like him. He doesn't actually believe it, but he had hope that the Slytherin did.

__

Harry was back up in the Gryffindor common room, working on his Divination homework up late. He really didn't have time to wait for an actual prediction to happen, so he started making up predictions as he goes, making them more vicious every minute.

__

"Hmmm. Ah yes, at 4:00 am next Sunday when the weather is at its highest, I will suffer from a heat stroke..." he told himself and sadly chuckled at the thought of it coming true. "On Monday at 5:00 I will drown in a pit of viper venom but make it out alive and at 12:00 pm next Monday I will get a headache and a brain tumour. Yeah, this sounds good enough, I'll use them."

__

Harry looked around the common room and saw that the room had been cleared out from all the other Gryffindors. Only Fred and George remained, they were both sitting at one of the tables, but they looked like they were plotting something mischievous.

__

Harry remembered the talk with Fred at the Quidditch World Cup and how they had a chat about sexuality, how Fred and his twin were Pansexual and how Harry was more into guys than he was of girls. He remembered locking lips with Fred that night and remembered how George found out and how he kept asking how it all happened.

__

Fred and George both looked up and saw Harry. Harry looked up at the twins and smile, who smiled back at Harry.

__

Surely Harry couldn't have heard the mischief George and Fred were planning, he'd have to have extremely good hearing abilities to hear what the twins were planning. "So, Harry," Fred suddenly said. "What were you laughing about?"

__

Harry looked down at the floor, seeing a single bird feather on the wooden floorboards. How did that get there? Probably an owl. "Oh, nothing," he told them. "Just coming up with silly predictions that Trelawny will hopefully believe. Got anything I can add? Instead of brain tumours, drowning in viper venom, and getting a heat stroke?"

__

George laughed at these predictions Harry came up with and thought of a few he could actually use. "A positive prediction would be that you'll pass Divination by doing your very hardest," he suggested, grinning. "That's one. Oh, and that you'll be taking Draco to the Yule Ball if you ask him quickly."

__

Harry felt a blush rise from his neck at the thought of taking Draco to the Yule Ball and being his date. A guy can really dream about that. "I guess," he says in an almost dreamy voice. He closed his eyes and thought of the whole thing, of taking Draco to the Yule Ball, walking into wherever it will be held arm in arm with him and dancing with him. Then he opened his eyes quickly and shook his head. "I can't tell the professor about my dreams of dancing with Draco."

__

"Let's go with you'll talk to a Shadowman at 3 am while everyone's still sleeping," suggested Fred as he rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip in thought. "You'll plant a deadly flower and it'll bloom exactly when Mars pasts Jupiter in a few months' time. You'll trip over Ms Norris and make her fall down the stairs and break a few bones. Oh, and house elves will replace the caviar for fisheyes."

__

Harry was laughing as he wrote these predictions down which actually are good and hilarious. The twins kept feeding him predictions and he wrote them down as fast as he could. "So, you guys aren't angry at me for apparently putting my name in the goblet?" he then suddenly asked.

__

George and Fred shook their heads at him, knowing Harry would have never done it in the first place. "Harry, we know you'd never do something that silly." They admit that at first, they thought Harry would have done something but it took them a day to realize that Harry wasn't stupid enough to do something like that.

__

Fred nodded in agreement at his twin, knowing Harry wouldn't be that daft and do something so stupid to risk his life. Although the younger boy always somehow ends up in death-like situations. "We believe you didn't put your name in the goblet, Harry. If we couldn't though we tried you can't.

__

George got himself up of off the couch, his twin following, and started walking towards their dormitories. "Anyway, we're going to bed now, Harry," he said and gave a little wave goodbye. "Good night!"

__

Harry nodded at them and waved goodbye. "Alright, goodnight Georgie and Freddie," he said sleepily with a forced smile. Harry knew those two always stayed until up around 10:30 at night, just to finalize their pranks. It's just something they do, it's like their routine.

__

Finally, Harry finished his Divination homework and decided to head to bed, ignoring Ron's glares as he got into bed. However, as he got up, he noticed Hedwig was sitting by the window. He walked over and sat beside his owl, petting her soft white feathers. He then remembered the letter Sirius had sent him; it would be a good time to write a reply to him now more than anything. So, Harry grabbed a piece of parchment, read over Sirius' letter, and began writing.

__

_Dear Sirius,_

__

_The first week of school was fine, except that I somehow got placed in the tournament. I don't know what happened there. Thanks for knowing that I'd never put my name in the goblet, I am so sick and tired of Ron and other students asking me how I did it. Ron and I have gone our separate ways, but it's fine, he's just being a git. I haven't told anyone this but, I haven't told Ron about my sexuality. Should I? Hermione already knows, but of course, she's Hermione. She even knows I like to stare at my crush a lot and she knows exactly who he is. I'm so glad you want to help me with the task, I don't know what the task is yet, but I will hopefully find out. I'm thankful you don't mind the guy I like being in Slytherin because he is. I won't go into detail on what he looks like because it will be too easy to guess but he has whiteish blonde hair and pale-ish skin. That's all I will tell you about him, it's a guessing game kind of. Thanks again for accepting me as who I am._

__

_Harry ___

__

__Harry placed the letter to Sirius in an envelope and gave it to Hedwig. "Can you take this to Sirius, please?" he asked in e pleading way, and Hedwig nodded and flew out the window. Harry watched Hedwig fly out into the darkness then got himself ready for bed and fell into a deep sleep thinking about a certain whiteish blonde hair silver eyed Slytherin._ _

__

__*********************************************************************  
Did you know that the actress who played moaning myrtle was much older than a student! Shirley Henderson was 36 when she played the bathroom-haunting ghost of a 14-year-old student who was killed by a basilisk's stare in Chamber of Secrets._ _

__


	7. Revived Friendship

Harry had to deal with the continuous stares, whisperings about him and students asking him how he got into Dumbledore's age line. He had quite enough, it was misery to him. Thankfully, he had Hermione, Fred, George, Dean, Neville, and Seamus on his side as they believed him. Harry still hadn't told Ron about the truce yet; he made a mental note that he would do it as soon as he could.

The next morning as Harry was trying to eat his breakfast, a school owl swooped down and gave Harry a few letters. With a sigh he placed it in his bag, knowing it'd probably be some more hate mail he's been getting since the Daily Prophet article on him.

Hermione noticed the familiar frown on her best friends face and she knew it was from the hate mail he had been getting from the article Rita Skeeter had written. That witch! "Are you going to read those, Harry?" she asked as she was eating a nice bowl of warm porridge with almonds and maple syrup in it.

Harry shook his head, knowing it was hate-mail he would have gotten. "No, it's probably hate-mail again," he said a little miserably with a frown. Honestly, he liked reading the hate mail for some reason because it made him feel worse. Was it okay to do what he was doing? Was it healthy? He didn't really care though.

Hermione frowned at the negative thoughts about hate-mail Harry was thinking and wished there were something she could do to help him in some way. "Don't think that, Harry," she said with a sad shake of her head and a disbelieving tone. "Who knows who it could be from. Possibly Padfoot?"

Harry didn't know what to think. The letters could have been from Sirius, and they could be hate-mail. "I don't think it can be from Padfoot as it is a school owl that sent it, Hermione," he told her flatly. A voice in his head was telling him it could be from Draco, but Harry was afraid to open the letter in front of Hermione in case it wasn't.

"Well, you should read it," Hermione said earnestly and watched him eyeing the letters while she ate her porridge. It kind of worried her. She knew how sick and rude the comments in the letters could be as she's read a few when Harry was given them. "Could be somewhat important."

Harry opened a letter easily and found it had familiar beautiful cursive writing. It was from Draco. He knew Draco's handwriting from miles away.

_Meet back at the Willow tree? We'll spend lunch back in the secret library room. I'll bring some Potion equipment so you can practice. Afterwards, I'll show you another secret spot. ___

____

Harry gave a smile at that note and looked back up at Draco which he nodded, and Draco nodded back with a smile. That charming smile, the one Harry loved so much but was never able to kiss. He quickly slipped the note into his robe pocket so if he'd forget anything he can just peek at the note.

____

Draco noticed a few things that many could not. It was Harry's smile. It never quite reached his eyes like it should do if he was really smiling happily. It worried him. What was Harry Potter keeping from the world that made his state look so... numb and dull?

____

Harry then began opening the other letters. His frown deepened as he opened another letter from 'a fan'. It was a horrendous letter, so full of bias, lies and hurtful words. It made him feel terrible and he needed to get away right now. Merlin's Beard... He's been clean from cutting for a couple of days now, though there's still his cuts on his wrists.

____

Hermione saw Harry's frown and placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance. "Incendio," she muttered, pointing her wand at the letter and watched the hate-mail disintegrate. Goodbye mail. To hell, it goes where it belongs.

____

"Thanks," Harry replied sadly and placed his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand and looked down at the other letters that could hold hate-mail. He'll save the others for when he's alone so he can wallow in self-pity and keep them to he can review them later on in the day.

____

"It's no problem at all, Harry," Hermione said lightly and gave his hand a little squeeze though she can see how he grimaces when she touches him. It was highly worrying. What is wrong with her best friend? That's all she wants to find out. "I'm always here for you if you need to talk, Harry."

____

Harry gave Hermione a forced smile, hoping it was enough and continued staring down at a spot on the table deep in thought until it was time for classes. It actually took Harry longer than expected so he got up, told Hermione he was going to the bathroom, and headed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where he got out his blade from inside the tin and started cutting to numb himself from the pain he was feeling deep inside. The deeper he cut the number he felt which he believed was really good as the thoughts of what his fans have been saying to him really sank him down into the dark pits of his mind. He only made five cuts on his wrist, it's all he needed in this situation. Then he cleaned himself up and headed to the dormitory for a lie down as he has nothing else to do before classes.

____

Throughout the morning, Harry had been feeling quite lonely and depressed and time seemed to be going really slow. Ron still wasn't talking to him. It made Harry feel even worse as Ron was supposed to be his best mate and support him through this damned tournament that he shouldn't have been put into in the first place.

____

Harry was just walking along the corridors as he had nothing to do when he heard someone shouting his name. "Harry!" He knew that voice from anywhere. It was Ron, unfortunately. What did he want? Oh, it was probably to know how he put his name in that goblet. How great...

____

Harry turned around to reveal Ron, jogging over to catch up to him. "Mhm?" he mumbled reluctantly. Most of the time he just wants to go to sleep and just stay asleep, but he knows he will miss Draco's handsome face and pretty silver eyes. Of course, he will miss Hermione and whoever else, but Draco really has spread some sort of light into his life and he loved it.

____

"Uh, look," said Ron ad got straight to the point. He hated this silent treatment they had and wanted it to end now. He can't live without Harry, his best mate, in his life. He's the only mate he has while Hermione's his best friend. "I'm sorry for nagging you about how you passed the age line."

____

"Mhm," Harry managed to mumble again. He really doesn't want to deal with anything or anybody right now. He just wants to be alone, away from everybody, away from the world. Except away from Draco. He really likes him and when he found that heart on the blonde's parchment... he doesn't know what to feel. He just feels relieved somehow.

____

"I came to realize that you couldn't possibly know a spell or make a potion that could get you across that line," said Ron who sounded quite sure of himself, and he had his head listed high to show how confident he is when speaking. "I also know that you wouldn't even have the guts to ask someone older to put your name in the Goblet either."

____

"Yeah. Thanks, Ron," Harry sounded sarcastic but also emotionless, like he always is. He knew he didn't need anyone to say he couldn't have done any of those things, because truly he couldn't and wouldn't. He didn't really need it rubbed in his own face either.

____

"So, are we still friends?" Ron suddenly asked with a quirked eyebrow, he studied Harry's demeanour curiously and noticed something was up. But Harry always looked so numb, so he shrugged it off as normal behaviour of a stressed teenager. But the nightmare he had caught Harry screaming about late one night had got to him. Sometimes he wondered if it was only a dream.

____

"Yes, Ron," Harry said while feeling slightly annoyed that he was dealing with Ron now than later. He couldn't deal with this right now, he needed to get away. He should be getting to class on time so he can get a seat on time.

____

"Great!" Ron said with a quick smile and his expression seemed to lift a little. However, Harry's expression sunk deeper and he scratched at the cuts he made earlier. The scratching made his arms burn a little which he didn't mind at all. It was good.

____

"Great..." Harry said through his teeth with a numb expression. What's wrong with him? Can't he say something smart for once instead of the usual 'Mhm' and 'Great'. At times he wished he were dead. He wished his attempted suicide worked and Dudley never disturbed him. What would have happened to him if he did die? The Wizarding World probably wouldn't ever find out if his Auntie or Uncle buried him in their backyard somewhere or actually in a Grave. That would be nice though.

____

Harry began to start walking again, not knowing where he was going. His mind was just focused on his death and if it will be easily found out if he did die in the muggle world. Would Ron and Hermione ever find out about his death? How about Draco or wouldn't he have cared if he died during the holidays?

____

Ron jogged after him, making sure no one tried to have a go at his best mate though the thought wasn't really on his mind. Nobody has really had a go at Harry from what he knows and he's glad. "So, figured out the task yet?" he asked immediately with a little bit of curiosity.

____

"No," Harry said and shook his head slowly, not wanting to talk about the task right now. That was not on his mind and was the least of his problems right now. He just didn't want anything to do with the bloody task. Apparently, these tasks were terrific and difficult? Good. Perhaps he can die easily then.

____

"You know it's coming up soon, right?" Ron asked tensely and gave him an inward look. His best mate should know better than to sit around or walk around Hogwarts with no plan and no knowledge of what he is up against on the first task. Who Harry really needs is the help from his best mate and Hermione.

____

"Yeah, I know," Harry says and looks to the ground sadly, knowing the task is nearing at a fast pace. He just wishes he had a way to escape this. He pondered if jumping off the Astronomy Tower will get him out of it. He'd be dead in the end so that would be a good thing. But then there's Draco who he is so sure actually cares for him... unless it was some sort of joke. "I just haven't the time to think about it."

____

"Harry! You've got to know what you have to deal with," Ron said and sounded very serious as he didn't want his best mate injuring himself badly in the first task, whatever it is. They ought to find out about the task. Couldn't the professors give them a hint about the task? Its what Harry needs the most.

____

"I know, I just..." Harry said but didn't know what else to say. He had nothing to say. He tried saying something by opening his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, Ron began speaking to him.

____

"C'mon Harry, let's go talk to Hermione," he said and ushered him towards the library where he knows she will be. Unless she is on her way to class. "I'm sure she'd be able to help you."

____

"Sure..." Harry said wretchedly, frowning. He really wanted to get away, but knew he needed help with the first task. He was 14, out of all the 17-year-old's and needed all the help he could get. Without the help, he knows he would die but he wouldn't care at all. He tried escaping from his life once and would probably do it again if he feels like complete and utter shit sometimes. There weren't many places to end your life at Hogwarts beside the Astronomy Tower. Where would he find a rope if he wanted to do it that way? Where are the sleeping pills too?

____

They began walking towards the Library, having to turn a corner before walking in the right direction. Ron noticed Harry's change of behaviour, and he seemed to move robotically with eyes that looked so lost to the world. "What's up, mate?" he asked while rubbing at his eyebrow, showing his worry for his best mate.

____

"Nothing, Ron. I'm fine," Harry lied just to get him to come off the topic. Again, with the questions... With that particular question. He hated it. He hated it all. He wished there was a hole in the ground that he can jump into.

____

Ron scratched his head, not knowing if he should believe his best mate or not. "Alright, if you insist," he said with a sigh, edging away from the conversation as it appeared that Harry didn't want to talk to him about whatever's going on.

____

They kept walking along the corridors of Hogwarts when Ron bumped right into something, well, someone. He looked up at the figure that crashed into him. "Bloody Hell, Hagrid," he said out of surprise. The professor actually scared him a little. "I'm sorry."

____

Hagrid smiled warmly down at Ron and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder which nearly knocked the air out of Ron's lungs. "It's alrig', Ron," he said gleefully and looked to his favourite Gryffindor seeker. Only Gryffindor seeker actually. "I'm just 'ere to see 'arry. It'll only take a minute or two."

____

Ron nodded, even though he wanted to spend the rest of the day with Harry. He hasn't talked to his best mate at all this month, which is really saddening, and he misses his best mate. It's almost like having a part of you missing.

____

"You wanted to see me?" Harry asked and looked up at the giant man in front of him. What he hopes is Hagrid not being able to see the side of him that's just dead and broken. Nobody else can see it though so that's good but he is sure Draco's starting to get suspicious from the worried looks the blonde has been given him every day.

____

"Yes," said Hagrid with a small nod, and glanced around the corridors for other students passing by. He saw none but what he was about to tell the young Gryffindor was important. "It's abou' the..." He bent down to whisper, "Task."

____

"Okay," Harry said blankly and he turned his head to look at his best mate. He forced a smile just so he doesn't appear sad or anything in front of the two. "Ron, you don't mind?"

____

"No, not at all," Ron replied with a friendly smile and a shake of his head. He didn't mind as long as he greets Harry again sometime during the day. One of the most important things is that they need to catch up on their lives and hanging around each other.

____

"See you in Herbology and Potions I guess," Harry said with that forced smile which he hoped was enough to fool him. He didn't like this any more than he had. Spending a minute or two with an adult was stressful, and he knew he'd be hit with the 'are you okay' question a lot.

____

"Will do," Ron said while watching Harry and Hagrid walk off towards the Forbidden Forest.

____

*****

____

Harry grudgingly entered the Potions classroom and sat next to Neville, like he did earlier in the term, but he didn't want to think about that day. He watched as everyone entered the room after him. Seamus, Dean, Draco, and his goons and lastly Lavender. Everyone was chatting wildly; Harry couldn't help but glance up at the Slytherins. As soon as his eyes met a certain silver-eyed Slytherin, he looked away with a little blush that rose from his cheeks.

____

The potions classroom door slammed shut, that could only mean Professor Snape had entered. Everyone grew quiet, dead quiet as they watched their dark Potions Professor ever the room. "Turn to page 167. We will be brewing an invisibility potion," said Professor Snape in his monotoned voice.

____

Harry and the class turned their potions book to the required page quickly and read over the ingredients. 'Cherries, Chicken and spiders'.

____

"You may commence, read the instructions carefully," Snape said coldly, looking directly at Neville and Harry who he knew will mess up the potion.

____

According to the first step, Harry had to chop up the cherries into bits and so that's what he did. Harry quickly chopped up the cherries into small pieces and sprinkled then into the water. The potion then turned a reddish pink, exactly how it should be. He looked over at his work partner chopping his cherries wrong. "No, Neville," he whispered carefully and stopped the other boy from messing up the potion. "Chop them up into tinier pieces, trust me."

____

Neville nodded and smiled at Harry, whispering a "Thanks." He's glad he gets paired with smarter people who know a little bit of stuff related to Potions.

____

"No problem, Neville," Harry said and read the next instruction which he had to cut up the breast of the chicken into a slice. "When you get to the chicken, cut them into slices as it says in the book, like this." He showed Neville how to properly cut them up by slicing them into pieces.

____

Harry watched Neville cut his own chicken into smaller slices like he had done with his chicken. He felt proud of Neville though it was just cutting up food into pieces. He's been cutting food since he was at least three or five when being taught how to cook. So, the cutting in Potions was easy. It was just time management.

____

"Good," Harry said as he continued slicing the chicken. Just a quick glance to the side of him he caught Draco staring at him. He smiled and saw how the blonde's cheeks were becoming a little red which he loved. When Draco smiled at him, he looked back at Neville with a smile. The thought of that heart he saw doodled on Draco's work back in Herbology class flooded his mind and he couldn't stop thinking about it. "If you need help just ask."

____

Neville nodded slightly and continued to cut his cherries into smaller bits. As he finished, he sprinkled them into his cauldron watching as the liquid turned a reddish pink. He smiled at his work.

____

Harry tried to smile at Neville, but it felt really good to help someone out and make them feel happy about themselves. He then dropped the chicken slices into his cauldron, watching as the colour turned whiter to an almost strawberries and cream colour. He then began to zone out staring at the sharp knife. I wonder... It looks sharp enough, He thought darkly. No, stop thinking so negative. Harry shook his head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts from his head.

____

He then read over the last step, which was the hardest one. He had to rip off the spider legs delicately and put them in one by one for every five seconds. He then had to drop the spider's whole body into the cauldron for the last step. It sounded easy but was it?

____

Draco, who was on the Slytherin side of the Potions room, finished his potion second after Granger. He didn't care if she still beat him as it just didn't matter. As long as he gets a good grade then he is fine. He didn't need the professor's approval to drink it as he knew what the potion looked like as it was finished. He quickly filled two vials' up of his potion, one for the professor and one for himself. He drank the one for himself, slowly watching as his hands became invisible. He grabbed the second vile, labelled his name on it and placed it in the vile holder on the professor's desk.

____

He just stood there, admiring the class in front of him. He looked over at Harry who seemed to be doing quite a good job at his own potion. Although, he was looking rather sad. Draco knew Harry hasn't been himself lately, he's asked the boy about it, but he has only said the familiar words of 'I'm Fine'. He walked up to Harry and watched him closely with a smile.

____

He thought about the other week, and how Harry somehow put his name in that goblet. Of course, Draco didn't believe that Harry was that stupid to want to go into the Tri-wizard or even try putting his name in that Goblet. He knew Harry could never get passed Dumbledore's age line, nobody could unless they were 17 or older. No spell or potion he was ever taught by his godfather could make someone age and have that age recognized as true. It was just impossible. 

____

Draco walked around the desk, grabbed a spare seat quietly next to Weasley and made sure to hide it from sight. He slid the seat next to Harry but hesitated, wondering if he had been caught. He would have sighed in relief as he noticed that Harry was distracted by something else and sat right next to him; he could easily smell his pine smelling shampoo from there. He loved the smell of pine; it was just like waking up in the early morning and taking a walk out into a forest.

____

Draco stared at Harry, looking at his complexion, black hair, soft cheekbones but most importantly, his lips. Those lips looked so warm, soft, and so inviting. He had thought about giving Harry a little kiss on the cheek, just to see what his reaction is but he didn't want to take that chance in case the potion wore off and Harry would be staring at him. He watched as Harry did the final steps for the potion, making sure he did it correctly.

____

Harry grabbed the spider and looked at its legs, it was a daddy long leg spider, so it thankfully wasn't harmful. But still, it was a spider that didn't deserve to die. He felt rather sorry for the spider and wondered what being a spider was like. He shook his head and remembered he had a task to do, he could worry about the life of a spider after the lesson. Carefully and slowly, Harry ripped off its front leg and dropped it in his cauldron. He waited five seconds and took off the other spider's leg and dropped it in watching as it sizzled. After doing the last 5 legs of the spider, he grabbed the body and dropped it in the middle of the liquid, watching as it sizzled, popped and the liquid turned see-through.

____

Harry felt someone leaning over him and looked over his shoulder, Snape was looking at his potion. "Your potion is decent, Mr Potter. 1 Point to Gryffindor," the professor said in his cold monotoned voice. Put your potion in a glass vile and the leftover you can try it on yourself." The potions professor than looked at the empty seat beside Potter, studying it. He knew something was up, he then realized Mr Malfoy wasn't in his seat. He sighed and shook his head knowingly, knowing his godson Draco had occupied the seat.

____

Harry nodded, grabbed a vile from on his desk and filled it up with his potion. It definitely was see-through, like the potion was actually invisible. With a smile, he scooped the leftover potion into another vile. He was about to take a sip, but he felt someone very close to him, like right next to him. It was kind of scary like a ghost was watching him. He put his vile down on his desk and popped a corkscrew in it so the liquid wouldn't spill out.

____

Draco watched as Harry stared at the seat that he was in. He didn't know what to do, just sit there and watch as Harry looked like he saw a ghost. He liked watching Harry. It was like a habit kind of. He loved the way Harry would bite his lip when he's concentrating. He loved how Harry's eyes would sparkle in the early and afternoon rays of the sun. He loves the colour Harry's cheeks turn whenever he's blushing. He loved how Harry would run his hands through his hair when a little frustrated or as a fidgety habit. He loved it all, everything about Harry.

____

Harry quickly grabbed the other vile of potion and walked over to Snape's desk and placed it in the vile holder, labelling his name on the side. He saw Draco's completed vile and compared it to his own, they looked exactly the same. Harry then returned to his seat, he looked across the room but didn't see Draco.

____

As he sat down at his seat, he rolled his eyes. It was obvious to him that Draco was the one invisible and who sat next to him. He felt his cheeks go warm and his heart was beating wildly in his chest, Draco Malfoy, his friend but also crush had been sitting next to him for how long exactly? Harry didn't know but guessed it was since Draco finished his own potion. "Draco! I know it's you, " Harry whispered to the seat beside him though Neville was giving him curious looks. "No need to hide."

____

Draco sighed, he loved hearing Harry's voice. It was so calming, so warm and it gave him butterflies in his stomach. "Sorry, Harry," he said, charmingly smiling at him. "Just thought I'd come by and visit."

____

Harry stared up at the now, see-through Draco Malfoy. He wanted to run his hands through the soft-looking Whiteish blonde hair, but he'd think his hand would go straight through like he was a ghost. He then scanned Draco's face, that handsome face, those beautiful silver eyes, the sharp cheekbones and jawbones and his soft-looking inviting lips. Harry forgot he was staring until a warm hand lifted his chin up to meet perfect silver eyes. That hand gave Harry tingles all through his skin, like static electricity was pulsing through his veins. "I-, Uh-," he stuttered and swallowed. He just had a sudden urge to kiss him but in the bloody classroom. It'd just draw attention to them.

____

Draco smiled at Harry, watching as the Gryffindor's Adam's apple bobbed up and down and then he realized as his cheeks warmed up that he was blushing. He just wanted to lean in and end the space between them, but he knew if word got out to his father, that he's been snogging the 'enemy', depraved things will happen to him because of his father. He forgot he was staring into pristine Emerald Green eyes and that his hand was under Harry's chin, so he lowered his hand from Harry's chin and looked at the desk. "'Sorry," he whispered.

____

"There's no need to apologize," Harry whispered back with a forgiving smile. He couldn't believe what could have happened. Could Draco have kissed him? Harry thought back to his previous question. It certainly felt like Draco wanted to kiss him. He turned his face and looked at his desk, he felt a blush rise from his neck to his cheeks.

____

Draco gained back his thoughts, remembering the promise he made to Ivy back at the Quidditch World Cup. "Harry, I'd like-"

____

"Farewell, my pupils. It is lunchtime, go fill your bellies with what muggles call party food," the professor said.

____

Draco bit his lip, knowing someday he had to complete the promise. He nodded at Harry and walked back to his table, grabbed his stuff, and put them all in his bag. He winked at Harry, hoping he'd remember the note from this morning.

____

Harry, on the other hand, was dumbstruck and blushing again. What was he going to say? Or even ask? Those were the thoughts rushing through him as he stuffed his potions textbook into his bag. He watched Draco leave, and he searched his robe pocket for the familiar looking note and sighed in relief. He read it over and headed down to the Willow Tree. He wasn't hungry anyway.

____

Harry pushed his way through the elongated branches from the Willow tree. They were pretty like always and looked like emeralds on a string. He shook the branches, watching as rain droplets would fall down and splash on the ground.

____

Draco was just sitting at the trunk of the willow minding his own business, the next thing he knew he was being rained on, "Hey!" He ran a hand through his hair, getting rid of the raindrops and wiped the other droplets from his scarf and robes.

____

Harry stopped shaking the tree branches and spotted Draco near the trunk. He was mesmerized and intrigued when watching Draco caress his soft blonde hair and run his fingers through it. He gave Draco an apologetic look for making the tree rain on him. "Sorry, Draco. Didn't see you there."

____

Draco sighed happily and got up, dusting his pants off. "It's okay," he assured him. It didn't matter anymore. All that mattered if being here with Harry and spending long numbers of time with him alone. "Are you ready for Potions Practice?"

____

"Yes!" Harry said with a little nod and noticed that there was no Potions equipment anywhere in sight. Strange... He can't do anything Potion related if there's no equipment. "Where's the Potion stuff?"

____

"It's already in the room," Draco tells him and to Harry's surprise, he links arms with him which makes Harry's heart skip a beat or two. He just loves being this close to Draco but secretly he wants to hold hands. With a shy smile towards the Slytherin from Harry, they started walking back towards the greenhouses.

____

They both pushed passed the Willow's branches, still linked arms but they moved a little closer to each other. They hurried down to the library, past the thousands of bookshelves until they stopped at two vertical ones, pulled the trigger, watched the torch lights flame up and headed into the room, closing the door behind them.

____

Harry looked over at the dressing table filled with stacks of Potions books, a cauldron, and ingredients on one of the bookshelves. "Wow..." he said.in absolute awe. Everything's so tidy too. "You're prepared." They both walked over to the dressing table, ignoring the mirror though they both really couldn't help but stare at each other's reflection.

____

Draco raised an eyebrow at him and then smiled. "Of course, Harry. A Malfoy is always prepared," he reminded him but yet again he should know that he's a tidy person. He remembered all the time's Harry coming to Potions unprepared and smirked. "So." He opened one of the Potion books. "Which Potion shall we practice first?"

____

"What Potions are there?" Harry asked, staring down at the book in Draco's hand but what he mainly stared at were Draco's hands, fingers, and nails. The Slytherin has such perfect nails and all Harry wants to do is hold them in his own.

____

Draco scanned the Potions book, looking at the easiest of Potions to the hardest. "Well, there's Draught of the Living Death, Invisibility Potion, Dreamless Sleeping Draught, Essence Potion," he suggested. "Those are all the easy ones of course." He looked up at Harry, a smile forming on his lips when catching him staring. "Why don't you choose one?"

____

He knew the Draught of the Living Death would be the potion that you fall into a deep death-like sleep and that you'd have to be kissed by a person with the antidote on their lips. He'd love to be kissed by Harry when he's sleeping and then wake up still kissing him. It would be like a dream; he'd be the princess and Harry would be the prince. Well, he didn't want to be the princess. It was more on the lines of him and Harry both being princes.

____

Harry pointed to the potion that looks kind of hard but also simple to brew. Dreamless Sleeping Draught?" he asked the blonde who seemed to be staring at his face, but he didn't know where. He blinked and pressed his lips together. Draco was still staring at a spot on his face. Oh, he hoped he didn't have any sneaky pimples that came through. "Um... Draco?" His hand automatically found their way to Draco's cheeks which he caressed, and a red tinge formed on the Slytherin's cheeks.

____

Harry even blushed himself as he hadn't realized where his hand was until silver eyes looked up into his own. He dropped his hand to his side, and it touched Draco's hand which sent shivers all through him. And then Draco was leaning forward slowly, but then he hesitated, bit his lip while ignoring his heart hammering in his chest and scanned over the ingredients for the chosen Potion. "Sleeping Draught, it is." He walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed the required ingredients, walked back to the dressing table next to Harry and set them beside the cauldron. He looked up at Harry with a smile. Harry wrinkled his nose, looking at the Potion book.

____

Draco chuckled and gave the book to Harry. He just couldn't believe he nearly... kissed him. "So, what does it say to do first?" He'd mutter a silent "Aguamenti" and filled the cauldron up with water, he then lit a fire under the cauldron.

____

Harry read the instructions and trailed a finger down the page. "Add 4 sprigs of Lavender to the mortar?"

____

Draco nodded, "And in which bottle is it?" Good Merlin he hoped Harry knew what Lavender looked like.

____

Harry pointed to a bottle with a type of long purple plant in it with jade green leaves. He knew exactly what it was and grabbed the bottle of Lavender in it.

____

"Correct," Draco said and watched as Harry slowly dropped the Lavender into the mortar. It was kind of mesmerizing watching Harry working on potions. "The next step?" He almost purred out the last two words.

____

Harry read what the next instruction was. It's still simple instructions like making the invisibility potion. It will probably get more difficult the more ingredients he adds in "Add two measures of Standard ingredient into the mortar?"

____

Draco nodded and repeated, "Which bottle is it in?" He just had to make sure Harry knows what it is. Merlin save him if he had to teach Harry about all the ingredients.

____

Harry pointed to a bottle with what looked like dried herbs in it. He looked up at Draco to make sure it was the right one, with a nod of agreement Harry sprinkled two drops of the ingredient into the mortar. "Crush into a creamy paste using the pestle." Draco nodded. Harry crushed the Lavender and the herbs together, watching as it turned into a creamy paste in a matter of minutes.

____

For the next half an hour, Harry kept following the steps he had to take when making the potion. He always looked up at Draco to make sure he was doing everything right, with a nod of assurance he continued brewing the potion. "Stir seven times clockwise? I don't have a-."

____

Draco showed Harry two mixing rods and one was a lighter brown than the other. "Look at the top of the page, Harry," he told him. "What does it say?"

____

Harry looked up at the top of the page in the Potions book and saw the letters 'ER'. These weird letters always confused him, so he chose to ignore them, thinking that they are some proverb from a potion master. "It says I need the ER, whatever that means."

____

Draco smirked. "ER is Ebony Rod, Harry," he said boldly and caressed a hand through his hair. It seemed Harry was watching him with a sparkle in his eye that Draco adored. "And which rod is the Ebony Rob?" He was quite enjoying this, it seemed Harry doesn't even know what a rod is. Oblivious Harry is a damned cute Harry.

____

"Uh-, I, -umm, I-," Harry stuttered and quickly pointed to the vine-like rod. Damn, he feels like an idiot. Why didn't he know this already? What's even worse, he's being an idiot in front of Draco, and it is just so mortifying.

____

Draco shook his head, clearly not pleased with what Harry's saying at all. "How do you not know what an Ebony rod is?" he asked him, and his eyebrows drew closer in together. "We were taught this in the first year. Were you listening at all?"

____

Harry shrugged, "It's hard trying to concentrate when Snape's breathing down your neck." It really sucked when he has been concentrating his hardest and then Snape appears out of nowhere and is breathing down his neck. It just wasn't fun.

____

Draco chuckled at the confused boy in beside him. How does Harry not know about rods at all? He must have heard something about them. "What's the colour of Ebony, Harry?"

____

"Uh..." Harry said and itched at his eyebrow, trying to think of the colours which he knows of. "Black or brown?" He hoped he was right though he knew Ebony was either a black or brown colour.

____

Draco sighed with relief; he thought he'd have to teach Harry every colour of the rainbow or something similar to that. Thank Merlin! "Good! And what's the colour of Myrtle wood?"

____

"Light orangish brownish to grey or olive," Harry said and staring at the cauldron, then into Draco's silver eyes that seemed to sparkle when they looked back into his own eyes. It made his insides flutter at the thought of kissing the silver-eyed Slytherin. Merlin, he doesn't understand love at all.

____

Draco nodded and felt glad Harry knew this much. Now its time to ask the more difficult questions. "Now, what are Ebony and Myrtle wood rods used for?" he asked the Gryffindor who looked adorably confused.

____

Harry shrugged and itched at his nose with frustration. Why must this be so difficult when really, it's not. Their rods. They should be easy to remember. At least he can teach Ron something new that would hopefully help him.

____

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Draco said and shook his head in disapproval. "How have you managed throughout your years?" he asked softly and then smiled, knowing Harry has his ways. "Ebony is Negative and Myrtle wood is Positive. How can you still not know that?"

____

Harry began feeling a bit stupid for not knowing what these are, he started to frown but someone lifted his chin up to meet their Silver eyes. It was Draco. Such pretty eyes and a pretty face. He feels so blessed to have a friend such as Draco who actually cares enough about him to help him earn a higher grade in Potions. All Hermione has done is told him to study multiple times. Ron doesn't help at all either.

____

"It's fine, you just didn't know," Draco reassured him and handed Harry the Ebony Rod. Their fingers touched, making him smile and have the longing to hold those warm hands of the Gryffindor's. "Start stirring twice, clockwise."

____

Harry grabbed the Rod and jabbed it into the steaming liquid.

____

"Harry! You're not doing it correctly!" Draco grabbed Harry's hand, held onto it and guided Harry's hand in stirring. "You need to slowly stir it otherwise you'll destroy the delicate ingredients," he told him softly and placed his neck on Harry's shoulder. He likes being close to Harry so much and will take every opportunity to obtain that closeness unless it's too awkward for Harry of course. "And with this five-inch cauldron, you should be stirring it in a matter of five seconds for each rotation." Harry could feel Draco's breath on his neck. He swore to Merlin that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and a familiar fluttering sensation within him turned itself on again.

____

Harry looked down at Draco's elegant pale fingers, he looked up to see Draco staring at him. He blushed and looked back down at the cauldron, remembering being just as close to Draco a couple of days ago when they fell on each other as well as minutes ago when Draco was staring at the lower half of his face.

____

Draco watched Harry turn his attention back to the cauldron with a slight rosy tinge to his cheeks. He thought that was quite adorable and smiled. "You got it?" he asked and removed his hand from Harry's warm one, trying not to stutter at the bloke he was close to. He could easily just lean in and...

____

Harry nodded and continued stirring the potion for one more time, the water turned into a light purple colour. He gave a satisfied smile at his work and pondered how he'll thank Draco in the future. A box of chocolates? Flowers? Maybe a thank-you card?

____

"What's the next ingredient then?" Draco asked just to distract himself from possible kissing scenes with Harry. They were quite hard to remove from his head. They are just thoughts that won't go away though he doesn't really want them gone from his head at all.

____

Harry finished stirring the Potion and took the Rod out of the cauldron. "Just wave my wand over the cauldron," he muttered, wishing Draco were still holding his hand. He grabbed his wand from his pocket and waved his wand over the cauldron. The light purple colour of the potion turned to a darker purple.

____

After watching Harry finish the potion, Draco applauded him with a smile. He's proud of Harry's effort even if he had to help him stir. "Congratulations, Harry," he said brashly. "You've made one of the hardest but easiest Potions in the book."

____

Harry let an actual smile come across his face at his work and poured some into a vial. "Thanks, Draco," he said sweetly and placed a cork on top of the vile and set it aside on the dresser. Really, how can he thank him? He's done so much and used some of Draco's potion ingredients. "I couldn't have done it without you."

____

Draco's cheeks flushed slightly, "I know, don't let it get to your brain. I can't be helping you every day and night." Although, that thought did sound nice because he would be with Harry but utterly exhausting since they would both be doing potions every night which means they would have to carry their stuff all the way down here again. "So, who's going to drink the potion?"

____

Harry shrugged and turned to him, gripping onto the dressing table. "I guess we'll leave it here for now," he said while thinking about if he'll drink the potion and lay down on the couch while Draco keels down and confesses his love for him while he's sleeping. The thought made his stomach flutter pleasantly. "So, what secret place will you take me to that you have in mind?"

____

Draco placed a finger to his lips like he's shushing him. "It's a secret, Harry," He said with a smile and then walked to the door. He opened it easily and waited for Harry to exit.

____

"Such a gentleman," Harry said with a roll of his eyes playfully and followed Draco out of the library's secret hidden room. Draco smiled and led Harry out of the library by the tunnel and pulled down the wall torch. All that Harry knew was that by the looks of it, and the familiar corridors they were passing by, Draco was taking him to the Transfiguration Courtyard.

____

Draco stopped at a blank wall with two torch lights 1.5 meters apart from one another and turned to a confused Harry. He got out his wand, looked around the Courtyard and whispered "Alohomora," and pointed his wand at the wall. Harry saw the wall start to deform; the whole wall just sank down into the floor like it was being eaten up. Behind the sunken wall was a hallway, a dark lightless hallway going who knows where. The Slytherin took a step over the wall and held out his hand for Harry which the Gryffindor grabbed hold of Draco's hand and he let him lead him into the darkness. The wall behind them rose, leaving them in the pitch-black hallway.

____

"Lumos," muttered Draco. The tip of Draco's wand had lightened up, flooding the darkened hallway with some light. Harry got out his wand and pointed it towards the darkness and muttered, "Lumos Maxima!" A great big ball of light escaped from Harry's wand and flew down the hallway, at the end of the hallway stood three doors in the shape of arches. One door was at the end of the hallway, the other was on the wall to the right, and the last door was on the wall on the left. Harry and Draco exchanged curious looks and continued walking down the hallway until they were right in front of the doors.

____

"Sometimes I wonder what else is buried beyond these walls," Harry whispered, looking at the three doors in wonder. What else could be in Hogwarts that nobody knows of? Hidden passageways that lead to the other side of the castle and hidden rooms behind walls or statues.

____

"Same! I've never gotten past these damn doors and I don't know what's behind them," Draco said and raised his lightened wand up at the three doors with curiosity. One was yellow and black, and it was the centre door, the other on the right wall was blue and white and the last on the left was red and gold. Harry looked closely at the doors, the yellow and black one had a symbol of a badger, the blue had a raven and the red and gold had a lion. "Do you think it could be the bedrooms of...."

____

"No, I highly doubt that," Draco said with a shake of his head and walked up closer to the doors. He studied the doors, seeing the icons of the raven, badger, and lion. Where was the Slytherin one if these really were the bedrooms of the founders? "Didn't Rowena and Godric sleep in their towers and Helga slept in the basement?"

____

Harry knocked on the blue door on the right-sided wall, noticing it's not hollow. "Not sure," he said with a light shrug and placed his ear to the door to see if there was any sort of noise. "If Hermione were here, she'd probably know. She has read 'Hogwarts: A History" millions of times."

____

Draco's smile turned into a smirk when watching Harry hear for any noise inside. What could be inside the door though? A giant polar bear? Not likely. It wouldn't have survived down here unless it had magic and ate wandering students. Oh, Merlin. Now he's making himself a little anxious. "Are you expecting anyone to knock back, Harry?"

____

"I-, n-no!" Harry stuttered and took a step back from the door. He knew nobody would be down here if only Draco knows of this place. But what if there was some kind of device inside the door or on the other side? He knows he is looking stupid by doing this. "I'm just curious, that's all. Should we try to open them up?"

____

"We could try," Draco said, trying to open the Hufflepuff door by the old looking doorknob. It's not even rusty like it was just used yesterday, and it had no dust. The only cobweb in sight was on the corner of the wall at the top. There was a giant huntsman on it too. "It won't budge! And where's the Slytherin door?"

____

"I am not sure," Harry said a little quickly as he tried opening the Ravenclaw door. It wouldn't open either. There must be some spell to cast on it. The door looks quite old actually and the doorknobs look centuries old.

____

Draco tried opening the door again and again. It still wasn't doing anything, so he pointed his wand at the door and muttered, "Alohomora!" It did nothing. What's wrong with this door? Doesn't it not know easy spells like Alohomora? What other spells could it open up by? Maybe by saying the animal it will open the door. "What's 'badger' in Latin?"

____

Harry shrugged as he said, "I don't know." He has never taken any language class while he was back in primary school so how would he know of anything related to Latin? But then he thought of the simple word for 'open'. "What's open in Latin? Maybe that word, whatever it is, will work for the door."

____

Draco pointed his wand back at the yellow door's handle and muttered, "Apertio!"

____

The Hufflepuff coloured door 'Clicked' and opened. Draco and Harry held their wands out in front of each other in case they'd meet some kind of danger and they walked into the darkened room. The only actual light source in the room, which wasn't very bright at all, was what looked like two windows at the far end of the room to where they were standing. They couldn't see what was through the window though.

____

Harry tried to find something like a torch or a light switch but there was nothing nearby. The only thing he could do in this situation was cast an easy spell. "Lumos!" He whispered and sent out five balls of light around the room. He only saw a glimpse of furniture like a round mat in front of them, something large at the end of the room, and a few small plants.

____

Draco knew what to do in this situation and sent a "Lumos Maxima" up at the roof. The ball of light formed into a big bright orb looking thing and lit up the entire room. Harry and Draco's jaw's dropped in shock. They couldn't believe what they had just found, they wondered if the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw coloured doors led to the same room just like this one. They both muttered a "Nox," and put their wands away in their robes.

____

What the room Harry and Draco were in was a bedroom. There were plants in every spot in the room. A large black and yellow four-poster vintage wooden bed that lay at the back of the room, two wooden antique bedside tables accompanied it on either side. Large arch-shaped enchanted windows appeared over the top of both bedside tables with yellow drapes that touched the floor. In the middle of the bedroom lay a giant yellow circular mat with black rims. On the right side of the room were bookshelves and bookshelves of plants and potion ingredients in small glass vials. The left side of the room held a large wardrobe, a table, and a green door.

____

Harry noticed the green door first and wondered if that's the door to the Slytherin room. It could be since it's green and black. What else could it have been? Perhaps a storage room? "Do you think that's... the Slytherin bedroom door?" he asked and pointed towards the green door.

____

Draco shrugged and looked back at Harry, giving him a smile. Of course, he would love to find out if this were the room he wants to see. Anything Slytherin he just needs to see. "Shall we find out?" Harry nodded and opening the door by the handle. Obviously, it didn't work.

____

Draco gave Harry a curious look and pointed his wand at the door and muttered, "Apertio!" Obviously, it was this spell. They both watched as the door opened, revealing green torch lights similar to the Slytherin ones on a wall in front of them. Whatever this hallway was, it wasn't going forwards. It actually was going to the right, so they had to walk through the doorframe and turn right which there were a few stairs going down into darkness.

____

"Do you think there will be a giant Snake down there?" Draco asked anxiously when they both entered the door, and he was biting down on his bottom lip as he stared down the stairs into the darkness. There could be something down there watching them and when they get down there it could gobble them up. Of course, that was what was going through Draco's head.

____

Harry chuckled, remembering the basilisk from his second year. Merlin, that was a long time ago and one of the most tiring days of his life when trying to defeat that rat that lives in the halls of Hogwarts. "Not too sure," he said as he stepped down one of the steps. "Want to risk it?"

____

Draco ignored the question and started walking down the stairs, wanting to look brave in front of Harry. He didn't want to appear like a coward or a scaredy-cat. It's not impressive at all! The Gryffindor followed behind Draco until they came to two familiar doors, except the Hufflepuff door was replaced by a green and silver door.

____

Draco frowned at the two similar doors in front of him and Harry. But the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor doors were back upstairs by the Hufflepuff doors in the hallway. What are they doing here? "If the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor doors are down here, then what could have been behind the ones up top?"

____

"Not too sure," Harry said with a shrug and felt shivers run down his spine at the thought of walking into a room filled with magical deadly algae or animals. "I'm so glad I didn't try opening the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor doors. Who knows what I could have come face to face with?"

____

Draco laughed at the thought even if it sounded a little scary. What could Harry have walked into? "A giant lion and raven maybe?" he joked and gave Harry a smirk, and when Harry looked his way, his smirk became a true smile.

____

Harry rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, but he smiled back at the blonde Slytherin. "Let's go back to the Hufflepuff bedroom," he said as the thought of opening these doors could actually mean doom. "I want to jump on the bed and see how comfortable it is."

____

Draco snorted at the thought of Harry just running into the room and jumping up and down on the bed. Although, it sounded undeniably cute. "Childish much?" he asked the Gryffindor beside him as he headed up the stairs. The further he gets from these doors the safer he feels even though he feels safe as Harry's with him.

____

"What?" Harry says with a shrug and looked up at Draco, silver eyes meeting green. He smiled and caught up to him. Beds back then should be comfy, right? Maybe they are made from a different material. "If that was Helga's room, I'd like to see how comfy beds were back in her days."

____

"Very well," Draco said flatly and thought the same. What were beds like back then? "But after you had your fun can we go back to the secret library room?"

____

"Sure," Harry said with a quick nod as the thought of drinking the potion and falling into a deep sleep while Draco confesses his love to him found its way into his head. He walked up the rest of the stairs into the yellow bedroom with Draco behind him and ran up to the bed. He jumped onto the bed and laid down, looking up at the ceiling of the bed.

____

Draco watched his friend hop onto the bed and silently lay there. What happened to jumping on the bed and acting all childish? He chuckled at him and walked up to the bed, rested his hands on one of the posts and watched Harry close his eyes, deep in thought. He just wanted to join him, be close to him, hug him, kiss him.

____

Draco watched the silent boy with a smile, contemplating about being Harry's boyfriend and being able to kiss him every day. Merlin... The thought was incredible, exciting, and something he wants. He still had to do the promise Ivy wants him to do. He could do it now... but he just doesn't want to ruin this fun he and Harry are having.

____

Harry sat up in the blink of an eye, smiled and bit his lip. He looked over at the Slytherin who looked as if he had been staring at him and it made him blush a little. "Want to head back up to the library's secret room now?"

____

"Certainly!" Draco beamed and walked towards the exit with his robe billowing behind him. He turned around as he made it to the door and looked at Harry. "Anything to get out of this place, it's all too yellow. It gives me Hufflepuff vibes."

____

Harry chuckled at the Slytherin and his beliefs, pondering why he thinks so low of the Hufflepuff house when they are actually pretty nice. "And that's bad because...?" he asked the Slytherin and raised his eyebrow, making Draco's cheeks colour slightly.

____

"Because they're all mushy and too kind," Draco says matter of factly, and crosses his arm, making Harry laugh which he enjoys doing a lot. He would do and say anything to see Harry laugh or smile. Or even blush as he has done so before.

____

Harry gave a snort. How are Hufflepuff's too mushy? And of course, they have to be nice. Everyone has to be nice to gain people's respect and friendship. "I repeat, and that's bad because?"

____

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry, he opened his mouth to say something but closed it as he had nothing to say. He just couldn't say anything as there's just nothing to say about the Hufflepuff house.

____

Harry got up off the bed and walked over to Draco. He placed a finger over Draco's lips, shushing him and he stared at the Slytherin's lips. He didn't think Draco's lips were this smooth and soft. Merlin, he ponders what it would be like to kiss those lips. "No talkies, more walkies," he told him in a soft voice, and he finally looked up into silver eyes that had a sparkle in them. "We can test out the Sleeping Draught."

____

Draco looked down at Harry's finger that shushed him, and a slight blush rose up to his cheeks. He nodded and turned away from Harry to open the yellow door up. He stood aside from the door for Harry, just like he did earlier in the day. When was it closed? "After you."

____

Harry smiled and walked through the door, whispering a "Lumos." Draco closed the door behind him and walked side by side with Harry until they got to the end of the tunnel. They both exchanged smiles, Draco pointed his wand at the wall in front of them and whispered "Alohomora." The wall shook, sank down through the floor and light flooded the tunnel. Harry and Draco quickly exited and looked around cautiously, they cast a "Nox" and put their wands away in their pockets.

____

Harry then spotted Professor McGonagall down the corridor and froze. This was a little bad. What if she sees the wall moving upwards? What if the entrance doesn't seal and it just stays open? It would cause suspicion. "The professor, what do we do?"

____

Draco bit his lip, turned to Harry, and looked him in the eye. He quickly pulled Harry into a hug before the professor could see them both standing in front of a blank wall, which would raise a little suspicion. His heart was hammering in his chest as he just hugged the most spectacular and beautiful bloke he's ever known in the entire world.

____

His nose picked up a scent from Harry that he just loves. Pine. Pine scented...he didn't know if it were Harry's shampoo/conditioner or if it was his cologne. He tried not to inhale too deeply but he just loved the smell. It was so relaxing and reminded him of taking a walk in a pine forest. It smelled so beautiful and utterly amazing. He wondered what it'd be like to wake up in the same bed as this amazing handsome young man and kiss him good morning.

____

Harry smiled shyly and hugged back, wrapping his arms gently around the Slytherin. He was blushing from the embrace; this was their first-ever hug. He didn't know why Draco suddenly hugged him, but the Slytherin's warm body against his felt so nice and wonderful. He just hoped Draco couldn't feel his beating heart against his chest.

____

He smelt something amazing and familiar, Citrus and Vanilla. That's what Harry could smell from Draco and he absolutely adored it. He just wanted to melt into the Slytherin's embrace. He nudged his nose in the Slytherin's neck and knew right then that his cologne smelled like Vanilla. It was delicious. He just wanted to start licking the Slytherin's neck. Okay, he knew should hold that thought in the back of his head as that'd just be weird. He didn't know where the citrus was coming from but guessed it had to be Draco's hair products.

____

Professor McGonagall saw the two young boys and sighed happily with a smile. She didn't know who those two were as she didn't see them properly, but it was nice to see a Slytherin and Gryffindor together. "Ah. Young love," she said sweetly with a sigh. She turned away and continued to the teacher's lounge.

____

Draco and Harry continued hugging for what felt like an eternity to them. They both just melted into the hug, loving how warm and snugly it is. It was their first hug as friends after all and they loved it. That was until they heard a soft "Ahem," they quickly broke out of the hug and stepped away from each other to look at a girl with wild bushy hair and a knowing smile.

____

"Hermione," Harry whispered and swallowed down a hard lump in his throat. He scratched the back of his head, feeling a little awkward now as she just saw him and Draco hugging in the corridor with nobody around. She knows of his friendship with Draco, so he didn't have anything to hide.

____

Hermione nodded at her best friend, and she was literally squealing on the inside that they finally hugged. "Yes. It's me who just witnessed the two of you hugging," She said and raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin. She was just so happy for Harry but hiding it with just a smile. "Have I also missed out on seeing a snogging session as well?"

____

Harry felt his cheeks warm-up and a blush was sure to rise to his cheeks. He didn't know if it was blushing or just embarrassment. Looking to the side of him, he saw that tinge of red come back to Draco's cheeks. He tried opening his mouth to say something to Hermione, but she cut him off.

____

"Anyway," Hermione said and smiled like an idiot. She wished she had someone to tell this to but she will just have to wait until Harry gets back to Gryffindor Tower this afternoon so she can bombard him with questions. "I'm going back to the common room, want to come too, Harry?"

____

Harry felt a little guilty as he hadn't spent time with Hermione much. He's always either with Draco or by himself. But he wanted to try the potion out, he didn't mind if it was himself that had to drink it. "Maybe later, Hermione."

____

Hermione gave a nod and said," Alright. See you later, Harry." He gave both boys a smile and walked off back where she came from.

____

Harry slowly brought his eyes up to meet Draco's silver ones and sighed with relief. At least the wall behind them was sealed and that she didn't ask questions at all. Now he had Draco alone with him once again.

____

"Why didn't you go with her?" Draco asked directly and his eyebrows furrowing curiously. He thought Harry would go with her if she wanted Harry to go with her. Maybe it was homework she wanted to work on with Harry. Whatever his reason was, it made him curious.

____

Harry shrugged as he really didn't have a decent explanation instead of saying how he wants to spend the whole day with him. "I've spent loads of times with her and she's mostly reading," he told him. God, he hated lying to Draco, but this was necessary. "I don't like disturbing anyone who has their nose in a book."

____

Draco nodded as he understood how it is with a bookworm of a friend. Blaise is quite a bookworm. That is if you catch him reading a book. "Let's head back to the library's secret room," he said and linked arms with Harry again. He smiled at the red tinge that resurfaced to Harry's cheeks. "I need to clean out my cauldron." Harry gave him a quick nod and headed back to the library with Draco.

____

As soon as they were back in the library, they passed the many tall bookshelves with thousands of books and then turned left until they were in front of the familiar vertical tall bookshelves. They walked down the aisle until they noticed the familiar old wooden bookshelf that held the trigger to the secret entrance. This time Harry pulled the book with the white rose down, which then caused the bookshelf to shake and open up like doors. They entered through the passageway, watching as the torch lights began to light up the hallway and headed to the door. They entered through the oak door, walked around the couch, sat down on it, and laughed.

____

Draco sighed in relief as they were safe and away from students prying eyes. He doesn't mind if people see him and Harry together. Though they would know something is happening and he will let them guess. "That was a close one, Harry," He said and looked to his side at him. "Do you think Granger will tell?"

____

Harry shook his head and looked up at Draco with a small smile, knowing Hermione won't be telling a thing. All she would do is bombard him with questions about his lunch with Draco. "No, she'd never tell anyone. Even if I ask her to tell someone, she still won't tell anyone."

____

Draco nods and feels a little better knowing the secret is safe from the public. "So, about Skeeter's article..." he asked hesitantly, frowning a bit. He knows how much everything would hurt as he has read it a heap of times. "Are you sure you're okay? I'm sure it's been rough on you for the last couple of days."

____

"I'm fine, I can take your Malfoyism," Harry said flatly, and Draco raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He gave the Slytherin an assuring smile and nod, but it didn't seem to work on Draco. That's not very good. He could find out about the part of his life which nobody knows exists and he wants to keep it that way.

____

Draco nodded about the Malfoyism Harry mentioned but couldn't help but feel a little sad that his words could have hurt Harry. "Yeah, they weren't hard to miss," he said a little woefully and stared down at his hands. "Just so you know, I talked to Skeeter a couple of weeks ago when I was still, err, mad at you."

____

"So now? Would you still say the same things about me again?" Harry asked him and raised his eyebrows as he waited for an answer from the Slytherin. He really could take the Malfoyism, even on his worst days because it means he just has more to wallow in self-pity over when he's alone in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

____

Draco took a moment's hesitation to think this through. Of course, he wouldn't say much about Harry to Skeeter even if it were for a laugh and to make sure Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott aren't suspecting anything about the relationship he has with Harry. "It's more complicated than it was now, isn't it?"

____

Harry bit his lip, knowing that because they are friends Draco would feel bad for talking to Skeeter about him. Draco shouldn't be feeling bad if Harry doesn't mind feeling down because of insults. "I guess...."

____

"So, are you really mad or just a little?" Draco couldn't help but ask because the thought of ever hurting Harry really saddened him. He knows Harry's going through something just as the way he's been watching him. He notices how depressed he looks, and how his eyes look lifeless to the world, and it's easy to tell when the Gryffindor hasn't been sleeping by the bags under said eyes.

____

Harry shook his head, "No, not mad at all." He just doesn't get mad at all anymore. It's just upset. It's his main emotion. Depressed, stressed, and upset. "But it can be a bit much with Ron, Snape, scar and the Tournament."

____

Draco smirked at the sound of the Weasels name. But what he would like to know is what happened with Harry and Weasel. They were best friends and then...not? It was confusing and he pays a lot of attention to Harry. Not in a stalkerish way, of course. He just gets worried about Harry a lot. "What happened with the Weasel anyway?"

____

Harry sighed, lucky he and Ron made up even if he is still a bit sad about it. "He's been mad at me," he says, crossing his arms and looked to the floor, frowning a little. "He thought I put my name in the damn goblet."

____

Draco nodded and understood what Harry was getting at. Nearly everyone believes Harry put his name in that goblet and, how could he? Someone seventeen or older could only put their name in the goblet and he doesn't believe that Harry would ask an older person. "Ah, what else is on your list? The tournament is obvious. What did you mean by scar? What scar?" He looked puzzled.

____

Harry laughed and lifted his bangs up, showing the famous lightning bolt scar that everyone knows. If anyone didn't know his famous scar, then either they have been living under a rock their entire life or... He doesn't have anything else. "You know, the scar? I'm sure you've noticed it."

____

Draco was still puzzled at how Harry's scar is causing him problems. "But what does it have to do with-?"

____

"It has been starting to hurt a bit, stabbing, and burning pains," Harry said and let his hand fall to his side. He froze and just realized what he has said. At least he didn't admit what he does in the bathroom to numb him or what he goes through. "It's very distracting."

____

"It's been hurting?" Draco asked in disbelief and stared at Harry's forehead which now was covered up by his dark hair. The dark hair which looks like a bird nest every day but there's something about it that he likes. It just so fluffy and he wants to threat his fingers through those messy locks. "How can a scar hurt? Why does it hurt?"

____

Harry shrugged. That's a question he's been asking himself for many years since it has started hurting. "I'm not sure, Draco," he said and deliberately rose his eyebrows and tilted his head. "The next time I come across another person with an Avada Kedavra scar on their forehead, I'll make sure to ask him."

____

Draco chuckled at the sarcasm from Harry. It's just the way he said it and sounded. He actually found it pretty adorable. "So, you don't want to hex me for all the things I've said about you in the article?"

____

Harry shook his head, pulled his glasses down his nose, and looked over the rims with a flat gaze. "No, never," He told him and tried cleaning the lens of his glasses. He rarely cleans them as they don't fog up much. Blinking, he could only see blurs and as he looked up, he sees a whiteish blonde blur. "I don't hex people unless I really need to."

____

Draco's heart fluttered in his chest as full green eyes looked into his own silver eyes and they sparkled with an inner light. He grabbed Harry's glasses from him and cleaned them properly just by breathing on them and wiping them with the material of his robe. "Anyway," he said distractedly as he handed Harry back his glasses with a smile. "I could really use some of that potion we made earlier. I feel like I could sleep for days."

____

"You can have some if you want," Harry said and put his glasses back on. They were so much cleaner! Merlin... "Thank you." He grabbed the glass vile with the clear liquid in it. He wanted to drink it, but the thought of a sleeping Draco made him feel excited and tingly inside. "I'm also exhausted at walking from one side of the castle to the next."

____

"Yeah, Same," Draco says and he looks down at the vial in Harry's hand. He hesitates and bites his lip. "Pass me the vial, please?" he asks him sweetly, quickly runs a hand through his hair and extends out his arm to Harry.

____

Harry gave Draco the vial and watched him take off the cork. It was almost mesmerizing. "So, is there some other potion I would need to make just so you can wake up?"

____

Draco blushed at the thought of the potion which needs to have someone kiss you to wake the drinker of the potion up. He shook his head with a smile, brought the vial to his lips and took a small sip. It took a few seconds until he suddenly yawned and laid down on the couch, resting his whole body on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

____

Harry watched as Draco fell asleep. He always wanted to know what the blonde looked like as he was sleeping. Now he knew. He looked so peaceful, happy, handsome, cute... Harry got up from where he was sitting on the couch, scooted closer to the sleeping Draco, and sat where there was a big enough gap beside Draco's waist. He reached over and carefully ran his hands through the blonde's hair softly from fringe to the back, feeling how silky and fluffy it is against his fingers. The Slytherin was so darn handsome he could just melt right here.

____

He trailed a finger down Draco's face, from his forehead and snaked his way down to his lips. Those pink lips that look so inviting, soft and warm to Harry. Before he knew what he was consciously doing, he licked his lips and was leaning down slowly, closing his eyes and planted a soft, lingering kiss to Draco's lips. His lips were so damn soft and smooth, and Harry just wanted Draco to kiss him back. His heart was hammering against his chest, he felt warm all over, and there was a flutter within him that only intensified.

____

As he opened his eyes, he froze, his lips still connected to Draco's. That beautiful face only inches away from his own. He blushed and quickly moved back out of the kiss. Cupping his hand over his mouth, he smiled as he has been wanting to do that for so long, but what he really wanted, was having Draco kiss him back.

____

Harry wanted to distract his mind from the kiss, so he grabbed his wand and went over to the dresser which the cauldron was on. He swished his wand around the cauldron and made the potion disappear. He didn't know if he should keep the bottle or not in case he would need it to sleep so he would get enough sleep and not wake up depressed in the morning. As soon as the cauldron was clean, he heard a groan and looked over at the Slytherin. "Rise and shine."

____

Draco sat up on the couch and looked over at Harry. That was... a nice sleep. It felt like he was out for hours, but was he? "How long was I asleep for?"

____

"Only a few minutes," Harry said and bit his lip, hoping Draco didn't feel anything while he was deep in his sleep. Though it would be nice if he did so he can get a reaction from him. "Do you remember anything after you fell asleep?"

____

Draco suddenly blushed and looked into Harry's green eyes, remembering a certain thing he dreamt of. No, but I dreamt of kissing you, he thought. He shook his head at the question. "No. I don't remember a thing except drinking the potion and falling asleep."

____

Harry nodded in relief and cast a quick "Tempus," showing it's close to the end of lunch. "I'm going to head back and find Ron and Hermione," he said and pressed his lips together, remembering the feel of Draco's lips under his. "I have something to tell them." He didn't really want to tell Draco about the Dragons in the Tournament because he just didn't want him to worry. Although, something in his mind was telling him to tell Draco since he probably knows a lot about Dragons and such. Maybe some other time.

____

Draco looked down at the floor with disappointment and gave Harry a sad little smile. He didn't want this incredible hour to end. "Oh, alright," he says and heavily sighs, breaking eye contact. "See you, Harry." Harry smiled, waved goodbye and walked back out of the secret room.

____

Draco sighed. He noticed his lips were feeling a little funny but shook it aside for now. He couldn't help but think about the small dream he had. But, in his dream he couldn't move or even kiss back, he just watched as Harry leant down and kissed him. He wished it were real, he'd always dream about it. Going out with Harry, snogging anywhere in the school grounds and hugging.

____

He got up and walked over to his cauldron ready to clean it but noticed it had already been cleaned. "Thanks, Harry," he whispered with a smile. He sighed again, packed everything up and made his way back to the Slytherin Dungeons to tell Ivy and Pansy about the day. But first, he had to take his belongings back to the boy's dorm room.

____

He found Blaise up in the boy's dormitory just meditating on his bed. In the past he always wondered what the point to meditating was, and he now knows its use is to clear the mind and relax the body. It was an odd thing to do but helpful when there's a test coming up.

____

Draco didn't disturb him as he knows Blaise wants his peace. He quickly dumped his items in his trunk and headed back out of the dorm and to the common room. Ivy and Pansy were sitting at one of the rectangular study tables by one of the large windows which looked out into the Black Lake. "Hello Pansy, Ivy."

____

Ivy twisted around on her chair to look at her cousin and forcefully smiles. "Well, look who finally turns up," she says mockingly, and Pansy turns her head to look at him with her own smile. "Did you enjoy your lunch date with Harry Potter?" Pansy chuckles at the term she used and got back to writing notes down for Charms.

____

A blush rose to Draco's cheeks, and he wished it were a lunch date even if lunch actually wasn't involved. "It wasn't a date, guys," he said as he sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the table and sighed happily. "I was just helping him with potions which he actually did a good job on. It was a sleeping Potion. I'm glad Harry took the rest because it seems he needs a good sleep."

____

"Oh, so it was a study date?" Pansy asked him, smirking as she held her excitement in for her best friend. But it was exciting! Her best friend sort of had a study date with Harry Potter, the boy he has had the biggest crush on since forever!

____

Draco shook his head, the blush still shown on his face and neck. Any date he would love to go on with Harry would be a dream. "It wasn't a date guys," he told them again and he stared dreamily at Pansy's book, thinking about Harry and the little dream I had. "When I took the potion, I did dream of Harry leaning down and kissing me. It felt so real though... I could feel his lips on mine like he actually was kissing me, but I couldn't kiss him back. I hate dreams at times."

____

Pansy and Ivy looked at each other, a little curious about this dream of Draco's. Then they smiled at looked back at him. "Tell me, Draco," said Ivy as she drummed her long nails on the table. "Which sleeping potion did you use, and have you eaten anything at all?" It just couldn't be... Even with an empty stomach you can't get hallucinations or dreams when under the sleeping potions. She knows this because she drinks them a few times during every week.

____

"The dreamless sleeping potion, why?" Draco asked her and rested his elbow on the desk and leaned his chin on his hand. He sighed as he noticed a patch of black on Pansy's book and smiled at it. It wasn't as dark as Harry's hair, but it definitely made it harder to not get the thought of him out of his head.

____

Pansy started giggling and Ivy slapped her hand over her mouth in surprise, "DRACO!" They both said in utter surprise and excitement, making all the heads of their fellow Slytherin's around them look over at them. Ivy and Pansy didn't say anything else as the common room became silent. It took a few seconds for the chatter to start back up again in the common room so they could continue.

____

"Draco, can't you see what this means!" Pansy whispered with a wide grin and she just wanted to dance around the common room and sing what's in her head. Her best friends so much in love! Oh, and Harry Potter too! This excited her so much.

____

"Honestly, Draco," said Ivy, disbelieving that her cousin can be so oblivious about this. Harry kissed her cousin! She could scream it out to the world. Oh, she was so proud of Harry and excited for her cousin. "He kissed you, god damnit! And while you were sleeping. You drank a dreamless sleep potion, Draco. Think!"

____

Draco looked at them and realization hit him right in the face. A smile formed on his face, and he bit his lip as he looked down at his fingers. Was it true all along? It wasn't a dream at all. It was real! No wonder his lips felt funny after he woke up... Harry had kissed him! He couldn't get the thought from his head, and he kept smiling. "He kissed me," he whispered and pressed his lips together. "Pinch me I think I may really be dreaming."

____

Pansy smirked and pinched him hard on the arm with her nails. Draco yelped and rubbed at his arm, glaring at her. "What the hell was that for!?" he asked his best friend, but he knew what it was for. It wasn't a dream after all. His smile returned and he looked back down at his hands, wondering where Harry was right now.

____

Pansy started laughing joyfully at her best friend. "He's lovestruck, Ivy," she says softly and wraps her arms around the older girl's neck, so she can smirk at her best friend who's obviously thinking about a certain Gryffindor boy.

____

"Oh, I know he is," Ivy says with a cheeky smile while coming up with a plan to get these two together and actually kiss. Oh, she was getting so many ideas, but she had to choose the perfect one. "How does it feel, Draco. Tell us. What are you feeling right now?"

____

"I just feel like I've been kissed by an angel and didn't know it," Draco said in a dreamy tone of voice, and he had a beaming expression with glowing cheeks. He made the two girls beside him giggle at him for long seconds, but Draco didn't care. Harry had kissed him! Oh, how will he react when he sees Harry again in class?

____

"My goodness Draco," said Ivy as she tried to contain her giggles within her. She just loved hearing this from her cousin. It is all just beautiful, and she cannot wait until she sees Harry and Draco together. She will make this happen with Pansy. "Just ask him the hell out already! If he kissed you, then he likes you back."

____

Draco looked to his side and gave a yearning look at the entrance to the Slytherin common room and sighed. The thought of dating Harry just seems like a dream come true. But he could make it happen if he had the courage to go up to Harry and just ask him out. "But what if he was dared to kiss me?" he suggested, and a little frown appeared on his face.

____

Pansy couldn't believe her best friend and she groaned. "Draco!" she said and dropped her head to Ivy's shoulder, sighing as this just couldn't be happening. "He does like you back! Don't you know how many times I find him staring at you every day? It's like his eyes are glued to you. And don't forget that I catch you sneaking glances at him as well. Just ask him out! Remember the deal we made? I'll ask Granger out and you ask out Harry."

____

"Let's just head to class, Pansy," Draco says just to change the topic though thinking of Harry staring at him flooded with warmth and a fluttery feeling. He will ask Harry out soon. He promised Ivy and Pansy.

____

Pansy just sighed and got up from her seat. "Fine," she muttered, giving him a forced smile, and walked away to the girl's dormitories to get the required books for the next class.

____

Ivy watched her go and then looked back at her cousin, giving him an unimpressed look. "I'm a little disappointed right now but that will fade," she told him, sighing. "Off you go then! I don't want you late to class."

____

Draco gave a little nod, understanding her disappointment in him. He didn't care though. He left her be and headed up to the 4th year boy's dormitory. Blaise was now getting his items ready for class, but Draco was very happy to let Blaise have his peace. He walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and when Blaise turned to him, he gave him a big hug. "Harry kissed me," he said in a whisper and smiled again. Merlin, his cheeks are starting to hurt now from all this smiling.

____

"I'm so happy for you, Draco," Blaise said and beams in the hug. Although hugs are quite rare from his Slytherin friend. "How was it? Was it exactly like you thought it would be like?"

____

"I'll tell you on the way to class," Draco says as he leans away from the hug and grabs his Charms book from in his trunk. He turns to his friend and grins. "Let's go!"

____

*****

____

Harry went straight to his common room to find Ron and Hermione to tell them about the task as he couldn't tell them during class. However, as he made it into his dorm, he found something strange but interesting. Dean and Seamus were snogging on Dean's bed. Bloody Hell! How didn't he see this coming! He saw these two holding hands at the Quidditch World cup, and he could see the looks they were giving each other.

____

Harry felt a blush forming on his cheeks and looked away to his bed and saw that there was an envelope on his bed. He quietly tiptoed across the room to try not to disturb the boys and their snogging session and tried to silently grab the letter. He did grab the letter but made a creaking noise in the floorboards and two people were staring up at him from one of their beds.

____

Seamus cleared his throat, knowing they had been found out. Only a few people know of their relationship, and it wasn't Harry. Neville, and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in their year.

____

Dean moved on his bed, uncomfortable on the position he sat in. This was a little awkward. At least someone else found out about the relationship with Seamus that he has.

____

Harry looked up and saw the two boys who were snogging looking at him with sheepish smiles on their faces. "Um, hello!" he said and scratched the back of his head. Oh, what should he say? He walked in on them not the other way around.

____

"Hi," Dean and Seamus chorused together and Harry chuckled at them as they both sounded kind of like the Weasley twins when they speak at the same time. But instead, this was a romance connection Dean and Seamus had.

____

Harry smiled at the two boys so much in love and sighed at them. This was nice to hear and see. Real teenage lovers. "Your secret is safe with me," he assured them. "By the way, you guys are cute together," he said honestly with a smile. Well, he hoped the smile was enough to fool them.

____

A blush rose up Seamus' face to his cheeks and he smiled at his fellow Gryffindor. "Thanks, Harry."

____

"No problem, you can continue... Uh, snogging," Harry said and looked back at the letter, opened it, and read the letter from Sirius.

____

_Harry,_

____

_I'm glad to know the school year has started okay. With the tournament, all I can say is keep a close eye around you. There could be a possibility that someone purposefully put your name in the goblet. I'm sorry about Ron, he will make it up to you soon. You really should tell Ron about your sexuality; it means that you trust him enough and they will be so proud to know you trust them. Knowing Hermione, she'll know who your crush is in a blink of an eye. It's why she's known as 'The brightest witch of her age'. So, this boy's in Slytherin? He must be a pureblood then unless he's a muggle-born or half-blood? Whiteish blonde hair and pale skin? That sounds quite familiar if I do say so myself. Does this mysterious boy also have irises the colour of Silver? If I'm not mistaken, this boy sounds a lot like my cousin Narcissa and her husband Lucius's son. Not to sound rude or anything but this guessing game sucked, you should try harder next time dearest Harry. If you're wondering how I feel about this, know that I'm not mad. I'm really surprised, Harry. I'm glad you told me this, even if I do hate Draco's father, Lucius. I know that Narcissa and Lucius both were on the side of Lord Voldemort, which I'm not too happy about. With Draco, you can lure him into the good side. Best luck in getting your man!_

____

_Sirius _.__

____

__Harry smiled; knowing how well Sirius can take things. He knew he should have made the guessing game harder for his godfather. But at least Sirius supports him with liking guys and most importantly, liking Draco Malfoy._ _

____

__Seamus and Dean had continued snogging on Dean's bed since Harry had started reading the letter. Harry rolled his eyes at the adorable couple and grabbed some parchment to write a reply to Sirius._ _

____

___Dear Sirius,_ _ _

__

____

__

__I'll make sure to keep an eye out, thank you. Who would possibly put my name in the goblet of fire? Last I heard was that I am famous, and people adore me, which I really hate. I promise to tell Ron about my sexuality soon, I just need some time. Yeah, you guessed right. I do have a love interest in Draco Malfoy. Thanks for telling me about how bad I am at guessing games, by the way. I'm pretty sure Draco is already on our side, he's much nicer this year than ever. Honestly, I could go on and on about Draco. We nearly actually kissed in class, and it was potions with Snape. Imagine Snape seeing two rivals kissing in his classroom? Ahahaha! I'd love to see the look on his face. Anyway, I have some information about the first task. It's Dragons! I saw these Dragons with my own eyes in the Forbidden Forest. I even saw Ron's brother Charlie there. He and his crew were handling the dragons. It was scary! There were dragons banging their tails on their cages trying to get out. I don't know what I should do for the task. Know any spells or something? Potions? Can't wait to hear back from you!_ _

__

____

__

__Harry._ _

____

____

____

__Harry put the parchment in an envelope, sealed it and made his way down to the Owlery for Hedwig to deliver. After delivering the mail and watching Hedwig fly off into the blue skies, he made his way down to Charms._ _

____

____

____

__He entered the Charms classroom and saw an empty seat next to Draco, but also an empty seat next to Ron. He didn't know where to sit because he's become great friends with Draco but also back to friends with Ron, so he decided to just sit next to Ron. Sorry, Draco. He hopes the Slytherin understands._ _

____

____

____

__As everyone sat down in their chosen seats around the classroom, the tiny professor got up on his desk and welcomed all his pupils. "Good afternoon, everyone."_ _

____

____

____

__"Good afternoon, Professor Flitwick," was chorused around the room._ _

____

____

____

__"Today, we'll be going outside to use this next charm," the tiny professor said in a squeaky tone. "So, all you need is your wand and follow me. Everyone out into the courtyard!"_ _

____

____

____

__Everyone got to their feet and walked out of the classroom into the open area of the courtyard. Harry watched as Draco was talking to Pansy about something. He couldn't help but remember how soft Draco's lips were as he kissed them, how adorable he looked as he slept, his cute dimples as he smiled and his soft silky hair. Draco's just so much like an angel, a gorgeous angel who fell from heaven and who's now a hot Slytherin mess. He forgot he was staring at Draco as Pansy tapped Draco on the shoulder and pointed at Harry. Draco winked at Harry which of course made Harry blush and look away. God damn Draco and his charms._ _

____

____

____

__Professor Flitwick made his way over to a large rock, climbed on top of it and muttered, "Sonorus." He looked down at his chattering students and sighed. "Attention students!" he flinched at how loud his voice became. All the class students turned to look at him. "As I now have your attention, who can tell me what the charm Ascendio is?"_ _

____

____

____

__Hermione raised her hand straight up into the arm like she always does when she knows something. Harry wondered if Hermione was like this when she went to primary school._ _

____

____

____

__The professor looked at the only person with their hand up and smiled, "Miss Granger?"_ _

____

____

____

__Hermione lowered her hand. "Ascendio is a charm used to lift the caster high into the air," she said proudly and just wanted to test it out on somebody. Oh, she'll do that sometime._ _

____

____

____

__The professor nodded at her excellent description. "Well done, Miss Granger," he squeaked happily. "20 points to Gryffindor! Now, go and get a partner and practice the charm, and don't worry when you land it won't hurt."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry sighed in relief; he didn't want anything else to hurt except the pain he feels deep within his heart. That's the only pain he has actually, unless he hurts himself either as an accident or by cutting. He didn't even realize someone stood next to him as he stood staring at the ground._ _

____

____

____

__Draco stood next to Harry with a nervous smile, remembering what happened during lunch. Merlin's Beard he won't be forgetting about this day at all, but he must focus. Class was a time for learning, not daydreaming about your crush actually kissing you. "Want to be partners?" he asked the Gryffindor and hoped to Merlin he won't get rejected of this offer._ _

____

____

____

__Harry looked up at the Slytherin and forced a smile. "Sure!" he said and tried not to sound depressed as he was feeling a little down. But now since the Slytherin is with him, he actually feels a little better. It's kind of like a magnet pulling out the negative energy and thoughts from him and flooding him with positive thoughts and feelings._ _

____

____

____

__Draco wasn't dumb. He could see the sadness and emptiness in Harry's eyes, just like the way Ivy's does. So empty like there is nothing there, just blank eyes with no emotions. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with him though he doesn't remember doing anything. He placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a charming but worried smile. "Are you okay, Harry?"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry looked into the Slytherins silvery eyes which always make his heart hammer against his chest and gave him the biggest fake smile he could, which wasn't very big. "Yeah, I'm fine." God, he hates lying to Draco, his friend. Best friend. But he must. He doesn't want Draco finding out how much of a freak he is._ _

____

____

____

__Draco didn't believe it. After spending loads of times with this amazing handsome young man, and being secretly kissed by him, he knows when Harry's lying and isn't okay. "Alright then, Harry," he said and closely watched Harry's expression which looked so down. It scared him a little. "But you know you can talk to me about anything."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded sadly and looked down at the ground. He just doesn't want anybody finding out about what he goes through. "I know," he says, and he jams his hands in his pockets, still avoiding eye contact. "Thank you, Draco."_ _

____

____

____

__Draco gave Harry a reassuring smile and lightly squeezed his shoulder lightly. "It's no problem, no problem at all," he told him softly. "I'll always be here for you, Harry." He sighed as he knew they still were in class and had work to do. "Let's practice this charm."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded and followed Draco into a clearing. They stepped five meters away from each other, turned around to face them, bowed, and got into their duelling position. "Ascendio!" Harry shouted first. A white stream of magic flew out of Harry's wand directly at Draco, hitting the blonde and sending him rocketing upwards into the sky. Harry watched in amazement as Draco flew up and back down. Before Draco touched the ground, Harry pointed his wand at Draco and shouted "Immobulus!" Draco started to slow down in mid-air as he came back down to the ground. Harry just didn't trust the Ascendio spell to send Draco carefully back down to the ground, he didn't want anything happening to this amazing handsome blonde Slytherin._ _

____

____

____

__As soon as Draco was back on the ground safely, he pointed his wand at Harry and shouted "Ascendio!" Harry quickly waved his wand in front of him, managing to block out Draco's spell somehow. He didn't know he could do that._ _

____

____

____

__Draco sighed and sent the spell at Harry again, "Ascendio!" Harry yet again blocked the spell and cast an "Anteoculatia!" at Draco. Harry watched as Elk antlers grew from Draco's head and he chuckled at how adorable Draco looked. Draco knew the spell Harry just cast at him, the forest green familiar light that came with it. He cast a silent "Fumos," creating a cloud of smoke from the tip of his wand. The cloud of smoke grew darker and darker around him until Harry couldn't see Draco anymore. The smoke surrounded Harry, making this easy for Draco._ _

____

____

____

__Draco could only see through the smoke, he watched Harry from the side and silently crept up behind him. He quickly wrapped his arms around Harry's back in a hug and whispered into his ear, "I win."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry laughed and turned around, giving Draco a proper hug. "Fine, you win," he said and buried his nose in the Slytherin's neck. The scent of Vanilla caught his attention and he melted in the embrace. This is who he wants in his life and not just as a friend. He wants Draco as someone to kiss good morning, hug, kiss in the hallways, cuddle with, and have fun with._ _

____

____

____

__The smoke around the two boys evaporated. Harry looked up into Draco's silver eyes and Draco stared back into Emerald green eyes. Harry studied Draco, liking what he sees. The whiteish blonde hair that is so soft and silky, long blonde eyelashes, the beautiful silver pools with hints of light blue, the adorable nose, the pink soft inviting lips that Harry just wants to kiss again, the sharp cheek and jawbones._ _

____

____

____

__Draco also studied Harry too. The messy raven hair that looks undeniably soft and sexy, the beautiful sparkling emerald green eyes, the thin porcelain lips that look so kissable and soft... He couldn't believe those perfect lips kissed him only a few couples of minutes ago. They realized they were staring at each other so they both blushed and looked away._ _

____

____

____

__Pansy saw the two lovebirds hug and stare at each other lovingly, even if they both didn't see it. She walked up to the two boys and poked Draco on the arm, smirking. Draco and Harry looked at the Slytherin girl and broke out of the hug quickly with blushes on their faces._ _

____

____

____

__Pansy had a knowing smile on her face, and it annoyed the hell out of Harry because it just reminded him of Hermione's annoying knowing smile. "Well, I'll be," she said and placed her hands on her hips. "I didn't expect to see two rivals hugging." She then smirked. "What's next? Snogging?"_ _

____

____

____

__Draco blushed at the thought of kissing Harry, really kissing him mouth to mouth with passion and love. "Funny," he said when remembering Harry's muggle-born friend saying something similar to that. "Granger said the exact same thing earlier when she caught us hugging."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded; remembering hugging Draco for the first time and how cuddly and warm the hug was. That was until Hermione had to appear and ruin everything. He feels glad that she knows though. The more people the better._ _

____

____

____

__Pansy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, wishing she were the first to find the boys hugging and not Granger. But she did wish to hug Granger, just to see what she's like. "Well, I'm sorry to have to break up the hug between you guys but Draco and I need to go."_ _

____

____

____

__Draco wondered why he suddenly needs to go with her. Is there a logical reason for him to go? "Alright, Fine," He said a little irritably towards her. He looked into those emerald green eyes and smiled. "Goodbye, Harry. I'll see you soon!"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded. He wished Draco didn't have to go for whatever reason it is. "Goodbye Draco and Pansy." He gave them both a little wave, but it was mainly for Draco. He wants to get to know Draco's friends a little better. As the two Slytherin's left, he looked to the ground where he saw a small worm wriggling across the dirt. He then had an idea for him and Draco to do. "Wait!"_ _

____

____

____

__Draco turned back around, raising an eyebrow at what Harry wanted to say. He was glad Harry had something to say so he didn't have to leave so quickly. "Yes, Harry?" he asked his favourite Gryffindor sweetly, and giving him his charming smile._ _

____

____

____

__Harry bit his lip and looked back up at Draco, hoping he doesn't stutter at what he is about to say. Merlin bless him! "Do you want to go flying with me sometime?" It sounded like a good idea in his head. He just hoped Draco would accept the request._ _

____

____

____

__Draco smiled at this interesting offer and nodded. It sure sounds like fun since he would be with Harry, alone together, like they were on a date. "Certainly!" he says stirringly. "I'd like that. When exactly is this?"_ _

____

____

____

__Pansy tried to hold down a squeal and she covered her mouth just in time. Her best friend got asked out! Oh, how exciting! But the way Harry asked him was kind of lame. Couldn't he ask to just get a butterbeer with him? That would be easier._ _

____

____

____

__Harry shrugged and stared into pools of silver which maintained a sparkle in them. Hopefully, the weather will be nice when they go on that flight. No storms or thunderstorms for him, please. "I'm not too sure when it will be but I'll owl you the details."_ _

____

____

____

__"Okay," said Draco. He had a desire to start running to the Slytherin common room and whooping with joy. "It's a date!" He hesitated and blushed as he realized what he just said. 'It's a date'. The thought was exhilarating!_ _

____

____

____

__Pansy giggled silently to herself and whispered into Draco's ear, "It sure sounds like a date." She loved teasing her friends. It is the best thing she can and liked to do. But she knows when to stop when it gets over the top._ _

____

____

____

__"Shut up!" Draco whispered to Pansy in a bitter tone. He didn't want Harry hearing what she said. Some things she says is really irrelevant to conversations and topics. She just liked butting in on conversations._ _

____

____

____

__Pansy waved goodbye to Harry, wanting to have a friendly little chat about what she saw. "Bye, Potter," She called and then turned away, grabbed Draco's arm, and pulled him out of the courtyard._ _

____

____

____

__Harry watched the two Slytherins leave, 'It's a date' stuck in his head. His intention wasn't to ask Draco out for a date, although that thought always gave him butterflies and made him blush. He wished it were a date, but he didn't think that flying on brooms 40 feet in the air would be classified as a date. He sighed and headed back into the corridors to retrieve his schoolbooks and quills from the Charms classroom._ _

____

____

____

__*****_ _

____

____

____

__"Ron! Watch your mouth," Hermione warned him with an annoyed look. She couldn't believe the language she was hearing, and at age 14! Who does he think he is?_ _

____

____

____

__"I'm sorry!" Ron spat as he tried freeing his arm from the book's pages that seemed to bite whenever he gets too close. They're bloody annoying and he just wants to stupefy them! He's just scared Madam Pince might come out of somewhere and slap him across the head with a book. "It's not my fault these books bite."_ _

____

____

____

__Hermione rolled her eyes at him and got back to reading her book called 'The Maze Runner' for the tenth time. The book's just that good she would read it over and over again._ _

____

____

____

__Harry then walked into the library, scanning the room, and seeing the familiar bickering of his two best friends. He couldn't help but smile, seeing those two bickering always made something in him lighten up. "Hey, guys."_ _

____

____

____

__"Hello, Harry," Hermione replied with a warm smile and she looked up at him from her book. She bookmarked the page in case there was something he needed to tell her and Ron. There is always something he needs to tell actually._ _

____

____

____

__"What did Hagrid talk to you about when we last saw him?" Ron asked his best mate, and his expression became a little curious at the thought of what they could have been talking about. A lot of what Hagrid says is interesting even down to just looking after a Skrewt._ _

____

____

____

__"Oh, he showed me caged dragons," said Harry and had to look at what his friends had been doing while he was gone. Hermione seemed to be reading some muggle book Harry knows of and Ron, he guesses, was trying to do homework. "I think they have something to do with the first task."_ _

____

____

____

__"What, Dragons!" Hermione spat in disbelief. This was just illegal. 17- and 14-year-olds shouldn't be allowed to take on Dragons at all. They are not allowed to do this at all! "That's barbaric! They can't use actual dragons for a task!"_ _

____

____

____

__"Well, apparently they can," Harry said with a sigh, falling into a chair next to Ron. He remembered seeing the four dragons trapped in the cages and how pissed they looked. He wants nothing to do with those dragons ever even if it's his last day on Earth. The only dragon he wants in his life goes by the name of Draco Malfoy._ _

____

____

____

__"Bloody Hell!" Ron said and sounded a little intrigued about the task Harry could have to face but also a little worried. He's really worried for his best mate because if dragons really are a part of the task, he may not see his best mate at all after the first task. "Do you know what kind of Dragons they are?"_ _

____

____

____

__"No, but Hagrid did say something about a Hungarian Horntail," Harry said hesitantly, not knowing what a Hungarian Horntail was, but it sounded immensely horrific. Just the name 'Horntail', he knew wouldn't be pleasant and all kittens and puppies._ _

____

____

____

__"That's even worse!" Hermione yelled across the table at them and stood up. She made the heads of students all around them in the library look her way. She flushed lightly and sank back into her chair, grabbing her book and hiding her face in it so she wasn't seen much._ _

____

____

____

__"Anyway, how is Harry supposed to beat a dragon?" Ron asked keenly, looking from Harry to Hermione curiously. He smiled at the flushed Hermione Granger sitting across from him, her face still buried in her book. "Or whatever he is supposed to do with a dragon."_ _

____

____

____

__"I'm not sure exactly," Harry said with a little shrug. All he knows from legends is defeating Dragons with a sword, which he does kind of have. The sword of Gryffindor. But he doesn't want to kill the dragon. It's a rare mythical being that he didn't even believe was real a few years ago. "I did ask Padfoot about it, I sent him a letter earlier."_ _

____

____

____

__"Harry, you're supposed to ask these things about the task," Hermione said, hitting Harry with a book. She saw a slight grimace from her friend and wasn't even sorry for it. Her friend must get his buttocks up and find out more about dragons. "Who knows how long it'd take Sirius to reply back!"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry grimaced at the pain Hermione gave him from a simple book. "I know, I just didn't feel like it," he said torpidly, and he really had no plans on asking any professors about dragons or even Hagrid. He would know some stuff about Dragons, but he would rather do this the hard way. "I was too busy running away from Hagrid who was flirting with the Headmistress of Beauxbatons."_ _

____

____

____

__"Blimey!" said Ron in surprise and his mouth fell open, and he was a little disgusted at that thought. "So that's why Hagrid's always dressed at his best. Well, the best he can look," he added with a slight scoff._ _

____

____

____

__Hermione hit Ron with the same book she hit Harry with. She actually found it a little sweet that Hagrid's trying to impress the Headmistress of Beauxbatons. The man's clearly in love with her, so of course, she gives him his best wishes._ _

____

____

____

__"Oww!" Ron hissed and began rubbing at his arm which was sore all because of his best friend. She can be a bit harsh at times, but he knows its only because either he or Harry did something wrong. He understands that. "What the bloody hell was that for!"_ _

____

____

____

__"Oh, shut it..." Hermione spat at them, and her glares turned soft. They needed to do research on Dragons and fast before the tournament. "Anyway, we need to clearly do some research on Dragons."_ _

____

____

____

__"Yeah, but where are the books on Dragons?" Ron asked them, looking at Hermione as he knew she would know where every book in the library was kept. She probably knows the library from back to front._ _

____

____

____

__Hermione rolled her eyes at him and got up from her seat. She began searching the bookshelf isles of the library until she found the 'D' section. Harry and Ron followed close behind her as the thought of getting lost in the library was possible. "It should be around here..." she says as she almost glided down the aisle. "-Ah yes, here. Oh... That's sad, there are only 2 books on Dragons."_ _

____

____

____

__Ron raised an eyebrow at his bushy-haired friend, not knowing why she would be sad that there are only two books about Dragons. One book is enough. "What's sad about that?"_ _

____

____

____

__Hermione gave Ron a pinched expression, a little annoyed at him for even thinking that it wouldn't be sad if there are only two books about Dragons when they need at least five to be able to help Harry as much as they can._ _

____

____

____

__Harry rolled his eyes at his friends. Sometimes he sees his friends as an old married couple who bickers at least three times a day. "C'mon guys, we need to research everything we can about Dragons. I don't want to be burnt to a crisp!" Hermione and Ron frowned at the thought Harry gave them._ _

____

____

____

__With that, the trio began reading. All they could find were how to take care of a Dragon from the egg, to the toddler, to the adult and how to train them to do tricks. None of these books had anything about how to handle or chase Dragons away, which is what Harry would need for the first task._ _

____

____

____

__"This is hopeless!" Hermione mumbles to the chapter she was reading about baby dragons and what they eat. Nothing at all told her how to lead Dragons away or to fight them. Where are the stunning spells and jinxes Harry could use?_ _

____

____

____

__"My brain hurts!" Ron whined, laying his head on the book in front of him he has been reading. Nothing in these books can help Harry at all. Just once he wishes a book can give him useful answers instead of boring stuff they have to learn._ _

____

____

____

__"I'm exhausted," Harry said and his eyelids felt quite heavy. He could fall asleep here actually. His head droops, and he supported it up with a hand. He was just staring down at the page in his book and feeling like he could drift off into sleep in only minutes._ _

____

____

____

__Hermione rolled his eyes at her two friends, knowing they didn't do much research and only complained. "You guys didn't even do much!" she exclaimed, lips pressing into a white slash. "I've read both of these two books while you two were zoning out!"_ _

____

____

____

__"Hey!" Ron said with a clenched jaw, a little annoyed at her for not seeing that he and Harry did help her. He did read nearly the entire book which was a lot to him. "We helped, a bit."_ _

____

____

____

__Hermione raised an eyebrow at her friend who believes half a book is a lot. "By a bit, you mean half of a book," she drawled at him while fidgeting with the bottom flap of the page._ _

____

____

____

__"We should go, it's nearly dinner," Harry said just to change the topic. But the person he needed to talk to was Cedric. He just couldn't leave the Hufflepuff to die in the first task. That wouldn't be very fair at all._ _

____

____

____

__Hermione checked the time on her Muggle watch and nodded, seeing as it's nearly time to go to dinner. "True, let's go!"_ _

____

____

____

__Ron sighed in relief, muttering a "Finally." It was his favourite time of day: food time._ _

____

____

____

__Harry walked out of the library and he'd thought Cedric would be there studying or doing homework, but he wasn't. Across the courtyard, he spotted Cedric walking with a group of Hufflepuffs. It was the first time he'd seen him, but he needed to talk to him alone. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Cedric's book bag and said "Diffindo."_ _

____

____

____

__The bottom of Cedric's bag fell out, dropping all of his books and parchment on the ground. Harry heard Cedric tell his friends that he would catch up and he bent down to pick up his belongings. Harry hurried over to help him pick up everything. "Hey, Cedric. Sorry, that was me," Harry said and pointed at the bag, "I needed to talk to you alone."_ _

____

____

____

__Cedric turned around and sighed at the younger male in Gryffindor robes. "Yeah?" he asked softly, pondering what he needs. What he doesn't want is more lies. "Is everything alright, Harry?"_ _

____

____

____

__"I- uh... I wanted to talk to you," Harry said quickly and tried his best to think about how he is going to say this. "It's about the first task." It is an important topic that must be discussed with this Hufflepuff and he just hoped Cedric will believe him. It's really hard on him if people don't believe what he says. He would feel worthless and untrustworthy._ _

____

____

____

__Cedric nodded, gesturing Harry that he has his attention. The look on Harry's face told him that it must be an important topic. "Why?" he asked, sounding a little concerned and he stilled himself just to better observe the topic. "What is it?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Dragons, Cedric!" Harry exclaimed and leaned closer a little just so if there were students around, they wouldn't hear him. "The task is Dragons."_ _

____

____

____

__Cedric looked at Harry in disbelief and rubbed at his arms absently. "Are you positively sure?" he asked the Gryffindor carefully, his mouth slackening a little. Dragons? Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore said nothing about there being Dragons for any kind of task._ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded, and he couldn't believe it himself. The Dragons were there in the Forbidden Forest when Hagrid showed them to him. Big, fierce, fire-breathing Dragons. "Yeah, I saw them."_ _

____

____

____

__"You saw the Dragons?" Cedric asked, and he looked rather impressed with the fact that Harry got to see them. But what kind of Dragons were there? All Dragons are a little different to what he knows, and it seems he's going to have to find more information about them._ _

____

____

____

__"Yeah," said Harry with a strong decisive nod and unwavering eye contact with the Hufflepuff bloke. He remembers having to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming or anything. But the fire that came out of that Dragon's mouth definitely wasn't a trick of the light. It was real, scorching fire. "I couldn't see what kind they all were though."_ _

____

____

____

__"Oh," Cedric said, still not buying it and Harry frowned at him knowing he couldn't do anything to make the Hufflepuff believe him. There was a sudden moment of silence before Cedric broke it. "So, Harry?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Yeah?" Harry asked hesitantly and had a sudden inward, pained look on his face. His brows creased and his face slackened a little as he knew Cedric didn't believe him and oh, how worthless he felt. He jammed his hands into his pockets to keep them hidden, and he looked down to the ground below him._ _

____

____

____

__"Did you put your name in the goblet?" Cedric asked him and raised his eyebrows a little. It still was hard to believe what Harry was telling him. But why would there be Dragons in this task? From the books he has read about the Tri-Wizard tournament there was never any Dragos included in it._ _

____

____

____

__Of course, the question Harry has least liked to hear. Why the hell aren't people believing him with this? "No, Cedric. I did not put my name in the Goblet, I couldn't," he said with a slow shake of his head. "I'm not 17 and I'd never ask someone older to put my name in the Goblet either. That's just silly. You literally don't know how many people have asked me that question and how many of them I have answered and ignored."_ _

____

____

____

__Cedric felt a little guilty as he hadn't believed Harry at all, but now that Harry had reason to why he wouldn't put his name in the Goblet, he believed him. "I believe you, Harry," he assured him. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask or talk to me about?"_ _

____

____

____

__A blush formed on Harry's face as he remembered kissing Draco while he was under the sleeping spell. The conversation he had with Cedric a couple of weeks ago also appeared in his mind. "Actually yes, who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"_ _

____

____

____

__Cedric chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Harry, I-"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry knew what Cedric was going to say and shook his head. He didn't want to ask him, but a certain blonde Slytherin. "No, I don't want to ask you," he said and gave a smile at that thought. "I just want some help... or something."_ _

____

____

____

__Cedric nodded slightly at the sudden offer. The thought of walking into the Yule Ball by Harry's side was a little funny. "What kind of help do you need?"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry bit his lip, thinking about what he was going to say. Of course, he had just one person who he wanted to take to the Yule Ball but doesn't know if Draco wants that. He knows Draco doesn't want his father hearing about this friendship he has with Draco, and Harry gets that. "I'm not sure who to take, got any ideas?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Well, I am asking Cho, even though she knows I'm into boys," Cedric says and gives a one-shouldered shrug at Harry. "And Joshua will be in Paris as his mother had some kind of arrangement for him with the job he wants. Who do you have in mind?"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry looked to the floor and smiled. A certain blonde Slytherin popped into his mind. The thought of Draco just never leaves his mind actually. He's glued to the front of his mind, and it always makes a fluttery feeling intensify whenever he sees him._ _

____

____

____

__Cedric smiled and nodded, knowing exactly who Harry was thinking of. A Draco Malfoy if he's not mistaken. "Ah, should have known," he said at the lovestruck Harry Potter. "Honestly, Harry, just asks him. I know it's hard and nerve-wracking, but you just say it and get it over with."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry nodded; he was thankful he had Cedric as a friend. Well, he was glad to have him back as a friend. "What if I don't ask him in time?" The thought of missing out on the opportunity was saddening, and if Draco went with a girl it just angered something within him._ _

____

____

____

__Cedric sighed at what Harry told him. He would feel sorry for Harry then. "Then just ask Ron or some guys in your house," he suggested simply, knowing there were many guys Harry could ask. The person he wanted to see Harry linked arms with at the ball is Draco. "Like the Weasley twins, they seem nice. Or... some other guys such as Neville or ask a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff guy. How about Blaise Zabini? He seems nice and isn't too bad looking at all."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry hadn't really thought about asking any guys except Draco to the Yule Ball at all. Justin Finch Fletchey seemed like a nice guy, same as Ernie McMillian. But he doesn't know them well. Terry Boot and Michael Corner? Meh... "Uh... I'll just ask Ron or the twins then."_ _

____

____

____

__"Alright then," Cedric said in a light voice and an upturned face. Then he raised an eyebrow, wondering if Harry had something else to say. "Is that all you want to ask?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Yes, that's all I actually wanted to say," said Harry with a quick nod. He felt like Cedric was becoming a little suspicious about his friendship with Draco which he wouldn't mind talking about, but he knows it can become rather...embarrassing. "See you, Cedric!" He waved goodbye and jogged up to the Grand Staircase to avoid an embarrassing conversation about him liking Draco and how he's probably been doing with the blonde._ _

____

____

____

__"Alright, bye Harry," Cedric yelled back with his hands over his mouth so Harry could hear him. He was actually going to tell Harry about a certain blonde Slytherin's feelings towards him but left it for some other time._ _

____

____

____

__Harry proceeded to the Great Hall for dinner since he was feeling a little hungry. It was finally the end of the week, no classes, no extra homework but most importantly, more time to hang with Draco. He still had the thought of being inside the secret library room with a sleeping Draco and kissing him. He wondered what could have happened if Draco woke up as he kissed him._ _

____

____

____

__Could Draco have shoved him off and ended the friendship? Harry frowned at the thought of losing a best friend, of losing Draco. It'll kill him, literally. Could Draco have kissed back? How would it feel? Those soft warm lips on his own sent pleasurable shivers down his spine._ _

____

____

____

__"Hey, Harry!" It was Hermione who already was eating her Yorkshire puddings. Harry gave her a little smile and sat down next to Ron who was already munching his chicken. "How was your talk with Cedric?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Oh, it was fine," said Harry and started dishing himself up some roast chicken and roasted vegetables. He feels like he needs to eat a few vegetables and protein just so his body can try digesting it. "I talked to him about the task, the Dragons, and a few other things..."_ _

____

____

____

__"A few other things" Hermione repeated, sounding a little curious and she brought her fork down to her plate. She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over the table, now interested in what her friend has to say. "What kind of things, Harry?"_ _

____

____

____

__Harry smiles and looked up at the Slytherin table, directly towards Draco Malfoy who was staring back at him. He smiles at the blonde Slytherin, noticing that pink tinge in the blonde's cheeks which he loved seeing. Draco smiles back and looks down at his potato salad, moving it around on his fork as he knows about the kiss Harry gave him while he was asleep._ _

____

____

____

__"Oh," said Hermione with a knowing smile, one of those annoying smiles Harry dislikes. Ron hates them too, but he rarely gets them from her. "So, it has something to do with Draco Malfoy, doesn't it?" She knows Ron wouldn't be eating as he's too caught up in stuffing his face with food. "You know Harry... I believe he likes you back. Whenever you look at him, we both notice that he's staring back at you with what I call a blush on his face. He's always caught red-handed or should I say red in the face."_ _

____

____

____

__Harry groans and dumps his head down into his mashed potatoes, groaning again as he now has a mash potato forehead. "Remind me again why I'm alive?" he asked as he begins to hear laughter all around him. Now he feels embarrassed at what he had just done._ _

____

____

____

__Ron snorted at his best mate and grabbed a few napkins; Hermione did the same. "Harry, what the bloody hell are you doing?"_ _

____

____

____

__"Hating life," Harry muttered but loud enough for his friends to hear. He slowly peeled his forehead off his plate, Ron and Hermione already got to the job of cleaning his face up. "Thanks, guys..." He looked around the table and saw Seamus Neville, Ginny, Dean, and the twins all laughing at him. How embarrassing! Looking at the Slytherin table, he started blushing as he noticed Draco smiling goofily at him, and Ivy and Pansy giggling towards his direction. He didn't care that the girls were laughing at him, it was Draco who made everything worse. Draco had seen him embarrass himself. Kill me now, he was thinking as his chin dipped when looking back down at the food he was going to eat. He wasn't really hungry anymore now, but he would at least eat some vegetables._ _

____

____

____

__"Oh, Harry," Hermione says softly with a genuine smile. She could feel his embarrassment and tried her best to get the mashed potatoes off his face and out of his hair. She actually had to use a "Scourgify!" to get rid of the rest of the potato from his forehead and hair._ _

____

____

____

__"Thanks again, guys," Harry says quietly, and he swallows as the laughter dies down. He looks over at Draco who he catches again looking at him. He doesn't even mind the glances. He loves them. The Slytherin mouths an 'Are you okay' to him, and Harry nods with a little smile. How embarrassing this dinner has been for him doesn't even beet the humiliation he felt when Dumbledore called out his name from the Tri-wizard Cup. Merlin save him now._ _

____

____

____


	8. Dancing Queens and Dates to the Yule Ball

Nawww!

I love Drarry! :3

HUGE shout out to Alexdar for creating these beautiful realistic drawings.

***********************************************************

It had been one or two weeks since the mentioning's of the Yule Ball and Harry was still trying to ask Draco to be his Yule Ball date. Draco was the same, he had two things to ask Harry. His first question was to ask Harry out and the second was to ask Harry to go to the Yule Ball with him. Or the other way around.

Harry was getting tired of most of the girls asking him to be their dates for the Yule Ball, but he kindly told them no and that he wasn't interested. So, then a lot of the girls were asking him who he wanted to take, Harry ignored them and told them he doesn't know. At times, he just wanted to scream it out to the whole school that he was interested in guys more than he was with girls.

Harry woke up on Saturday to the sound of grunting on the other side of his dorm room. He felt a little less depressed since he got about five hours of sleep and he only woke up twice last night. He sat up and placed his glasses on his nose, looking over at an angry Ron. "Ron, what is it?" he asked in a sleepy tone.

Ron was staring at himself in the mirror with what looked like a girl's dress in his arms. "Oh, nothing..." he said with a bitter smile. "It's just that mum brought me some weird dress robe for the Yule Ball. It literally looks like a dress, no kidding." He turned away from the mirror to face Harry.

Harry was too tired to laugh at the dress robes that looked so Victorian styled and definitely like a girl's dress. Sometimes he feels so sorry for Ron, but at least he has a family. "Ron, I can just buy you some dress robes."

Ron's eyes widened in surprise, but then he shook his head knowing he shouldn't take money from people, especially his best friend. "No, it's okay," he said with quite a heavy sigh. "I'll just not go, no biggie."

Harry yawned, too tired to deal with stressed teenage boys like himself who are overreacting to what they are going to wear. "No, it's fine Ron," he told him earnestly. He really would go out and buy his best mate a new dress robe. He's got plenty of Galleons in his vault that can probably last him a few twenty years or so. "I'll just get the cheapest dress robes in store, no second-hand clothes for you."

"Okay," Ron said, his forehead wrinkled, and he still sounded a little unsure about this. He doesn't want his best mate buying things for him. He'd feel bad in the end. "If you insist, just please don't tell my mom. You know how furious she'll get."

Harry nodded, knowing how angry Mrs Weasley can get though she never gets angry at him. She only gets upset when people buy her family things that weren't from the Weasley's family Gringotts vault. "Of course, Ron," he assured him and with, of course, a forced smile.

"Do you think we'll have dancing lessons?" Ron asked blankly, still staring at the dress robe with disgust. The thought of dancing didn't seem like a bad thing as he knows many people, including himself, would need the practice. It's just a thing they all had to learn.

Harry shrugged tiredly. He didn't care about the dance even though he knew he needed a lot of practice. Dancing was just work and he didn't want to do it. "Not too sure, I don't mind if we did though," he told him, and his shoulders curled forward. "I don't even know how to dance."

Ron smiled sheepishly, and the thought of teaching Harry how to dance suddenly popped into his head. He didn't mind it though. "I'd be happy to give you lessons, mate," he said and chucks the dress robe he was given onto his bed, disregarding it as trash. "Even if it meant holding your hand and your waist."

"Uh... yeah..." Harry said and forced a laugh at that, making Ron smile. He then got dressed in a black hoodie with jeans ready for the day. He wasn't hungry, not anymore. Even if he did eat, he'd just throw it up in a matter of either minutes or hours. Although, the food he has been eating occasionally does go down and he is thankful for that.

Harry walked into the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione, who came down into the common room just as the two boys were about to leave together. The trio sat down next to Fred and George, ignoring what they were plotting as it doesn't involve them. He sat next to Hermione, and they had a good view of the Slytherin table. Ron was sitting across from them.

Harry looked back up at the Slytherin table again and caught Draco staring at him which he gave a small wave and tried to smile at the Slytherin. He watched as Draco gave a smile back at him with familiar and adorable pink tinges to his cheeks.

Ron stuffed his plate with waffles and sprinkled blueberries and maple syrup on them and began eating. He loves his food. Harry just thinks he has a high metabolism while Hermione believes he just eats too much. He believes the metabolism thing unless it's an eating disorder.

Hermione stared at Ron with disgust, wondering how a boy could eat five waffles the size of his hands. "Honestly, Ron!" She said and wrinkled her nose. "How can you eat all that?" It amazed her, actually.

Ron shrugged with a mouth full of waffles, "I 'ust can."

Hermione ignored her hungry friend and dished a bowl up of corn flakes. She swirled her spoon in the cornflakes and began eating her breakfast slowly. She still doesn't know how a boy can eat so much.

"So, who are you guys going to the Yule with?" Harry then asked and pouring himself a glass of orange juice. If he can't eat, then he may as well drink something that will go down into his stomach and stay there. He's better filled with fluids than with chunky foods that can come back up.

Hermione scooped a spoonful of corn flakes into her mouth. She knew she should tell them some time so now is the chance. "If you must know, I'm going with Viktor Krum," she told them, but it seemed she didn't look very happy about it. In a split second, her mood changed to a somewhat pleased expression.

Ron nearly spat out his waffle, a little surprised about this information she's given him and Harry. He just didn't believe it. He couldn't. "Viktor Krum?" he asked her in disbelief. "As in _the _Victor Krum?"__

____

"Yes, Ron," said Hermione. "Viktor Krum." She looked down at her breakfast, silently sighing. "Besides, he only wants to go with me to make someone jealous." Hermione saw the worry in Harry's eyes and shook her head. "I don't mind at all; I understand why he's doing that. I may want to make someone jealous as well."

____

Harry nodded and took a sip of his orange juice. He heard Fred and George whispering something on the lines of, 'Get ready!' 'This is going to be hilarious!' 'Any minute now!' What the bloody hell are they up to now? He knows they've been planning something and want to find out what.

____

"Who are you going with, Ron?" Hermione then asked, curious about who he asked or who asked him to the Yule Ball. She sighed as Ron shrugged and continued eating his waffles. She hopes he finds a date to the ball though. She actually wasn't thinking of going at all, that was until Viktor asked her and she accepted it.

____

Harry heard George and Fred start to countdown from 20, he tried to see what they were looking at but only knew they were staring at the Slytherin table. He leaned closer to the twins and whispered, "What are you guys planning?"

____

Fred looked down at Harry with a mischievous smile, knowing how much Harry likes the blonde Slytherin since this prank was for him. "We're going to prank Malfoy," he said and clapped Harry on the back. "It's to get back at him for reading the article about our father to the school."

____

Harry looked over at Draco with worry, trying to figure out what the twins are planning. He would like to at least know so he could try to stop them. He doesn't want anything happening to his favourite Slytherin such as humiliation and embarrassment. God, the last time he was embarrassed was when his forehead went straight into his mashed potatoes. It wasn't great.

____

George saw the worried expression on Harry's face and gave him a knowing smile. "It's okay, Harry. The prank won't hurt him, it's just for a laugh," he assured him carefully. "No need to worry about your Slytherin prince."

____

Harry felt a blush rise to his cheeks, so he drowned the rest of his pumpkin juice just to hide his blushing face a little. It didn't work obviously as the twins and Hermione laughed at him. It kind of made him feel a little worse, and his blush deepened in colour.

____

"So, Harry," Hermione said with a curious and slow smile that builds. She still doesn't know if Harry's going with anyone yet. Her first guess is a certain blonde Slytherin. She doesn't have any other guesses though. Who knows? Harry might surprise her. "Who are you going with?"

____

"Oh, I'm not sure," Harry said and gave her a little shrug. "I haven't asked anybody." He looked over at Draco with a small smile, and just rested the side of his cheek on his hand as he stared at the blonde Slytherin. He didn't even realize Pansy smirking at him and whispering something into Draco's ear that made the blonde Slytherin look his way. They met eye contact and Harry blinked, looking down at the table while feeling the familiar heat ride up to his cheeks to form a noticeable blush.

____

Hermione gave Harry a knowing smile and continued eating her cereal. Can't the two boys just kiss already and date? It's getting a little annoying when she catches them both looking at each other secretly. Don't they see that they like each other? Goodness. She just thinks their hopeless romantics trying to get together when it's not working at all.

____

In a matter of minutes, the owls came in, delivering mail to their owners. Harry watched Draco's Eagle-owl swooping down and land gracefully on Draco's shoulder. He smiled and wished he were sitting next to Draco so he can talk to him and meet his owl friend. He then saw Hedwig fly down and land on Ron's plate of waffles. He chuckled at Hedwig and her goofy landings.

____

Ron glared angrily at Hedwig, disliking how there will now be Owl germs all over his food. "Hey!" He looked up at Harry, a little irritably and his lips pursed together. "Harry! Get your bird off my breakfast!"

____

"Hello, Hedwig," Harry said with a sigh and led Hedwig over to him with pieces of breadcrumbs. It wasn't owl food, but she flew over to Harry and to praise her, he petted Hedwig's feathers. "Oh, that reminds me. I have a note for you to send to someone." He reached into his bookbag and pulled out a piece of paper, his quill and ink.

____

Hermione found it interesting that Harry wanted to send a letter during breakfast. She's always curious about what her friends get up to though. "Harry, is that to Padfoot?" she asked him and added some yoghurt to her cornflakes.

____

Harry shook his head and laughed to himself about sending another letter to Sirius when he already sent one to him. "No, It's for someone else." He looked over at the Slytherin table and locked eyes with a certain someone. Those cool silver eyes that looked into his green ones seemed to reflect the sunlight from outside and Harry loved it. He would sacrifice himself with another plate of mash potatoes to his head for Draco. Or a pie with whipped cream. He would take a pie to his face any day for Draco.

____

Hermione noticed her friend was staring and looked over to where he was looking at. Draco Malfoy. She smiled knowingly at Harry. "So, sending letters to each other?" she asked softly. When Ron was distracted by talking to Ginny further down the table, she continued, "That's adorable, Harry! Are they love letters?"

____

Harry grabbed Hermione's breakfast and put it out of reach from her for payback. "No!" he told her a little sternly. "Not love letters! We send each other letters to tell where to meet at lunch and after classes."

____

"Oh," Hermione said and she giggled at this realization. It seems like her best friend isn't telling her the whole story. "So, you plan dates?" She tried to get her food back but failed as Harry put her food behind his back. "And give my food back!"

____

"No, I won't give your food back," Harry said and gave Hermione a mischievous smile. He could do this all day if he must. He would just to make her say that these together times with Draco aren't dates although the thought really excited him. "And no, they're not dates. We just like to spend time together as friends."

____

Hermione Accioed her food to her while she wasn't being watched. "Mm-hmm..." she says, raising her eyebrows at him. "As friends, sure." She scooped mouthfuls of corn flakes into her mouth, trying to hide her smile towards him. She's just so pleased to hear about all of this.

____

Harry sighed at her. He should have known she would Accio her food to her. "He is honestly so amazing; I wish that they were dates but no," he says, a little disappointed. He pretends their dates though. "He's been helping me improve with Potions."

____

"That's wonderful, Harry!" Hermione admitted, beaming at this wonderful thought. She wants her friend to get better grades without him copying off her own work. Now Ron needs to find that someone too, so he doesn't bother her with work. "I'm finding it great that he cares about your education. Merlin knows you do need help."

____

"Heeey!" Harry said with a prolonged the 'e', not liking how right she is about this. He wants to do better, and he Draco to help him. Just not all the time. "I've been doing great this year!" He remembered all the times in classes with Draco, having fun, laughing, enjoying the time they spend together. Such beautiful times of his life, even if he was feeling pretty shit that day.

____

Hermione nodded with a smile, "I know, Harry," she says earnestly, knowing Harry is trying his best in getting better grades. She's just glad that he is trying to achieve what he wants. "I know."

____

Harry sighed, he had to tell Hermione a little something he did. A something he gave Draco, actually. It's the most amazing thing that has happened to him. "Hermione?"

____

Hermione looked up at Harry from her cereal, raising an eyebrow to let him know she was listening to him. "Yes, Harry?" she asked him as she looked over at the Slytherin table, catching sight of a girl with short black hair.

____

Harry bit his lip, remembering a memory from not long ago. God, he loved that day. He leaned a little closer to her, whispering into her ear, "I kissed him."

____

Hermione dropped her spoon into her bowl of cereal, dropped her jaw, and tried not to squeal at her friend. "What?!" she gasped and looked at him from beside her. Did she hear right? Or is there something in her ear?

____

Harry nodded, feeling a blush form on his cheeks and he smiled. The memory was such a fresh one and he will kiss Draco again if he ever has the chance. "I kissed him, Hermione," he repeated it to her in a clear voice. "I kissed Draco."

____

Hermione replayed the last minute in her head, hoping it's real. The look on Harry's face, the dreamy look, told her that it is real and she's so proud of her best friend. "Oh, golly, Harry!" She cupped her hand over her mouth in surprise and then gave Harry a big side hug. "Tell me everything!"

____

Harry chuckled at her enthusiasm to hear what he has to say. Of course, he couldn't tell her everything like the secret places in Hogwarts that Draco showed him. "Let's just say that he was asleep, and I couldn't resist the urge," he explained, and his cheeks glowed when beaming about the thought of kissing Draco. "He's so attractive, Hermione. One of God's creations. A fallen angel. A fallen hot angel, if I do say so myself."

____

Hermione giggled at her lovestruck friend. She absolutely loved to hear this gossip. She loved when friends tell her this kind of information that she can be happy about. "Aww! You love him, don't you?"

____

"I really do," Harry says with a little nod, and his face just hurts from smiling so much. "He was asleep, and I kissed him," he began to ramble on and on about Draco's appearance much to Fred and George's annoyance as they could hear him explaining how incredible and amazing Draco was. "My lips touched his, they are so soft. So, inviting, so-"

____

Hermione cupped her hand over Harry's mouth, making him stop right there with his ranting. "Okay, that's enough," she told him a little sternly. "If I hear one more word from you about how amazing or something he is, I'm going to throw up my breakfast. Do you understand?"

____

Harry nodded, blushing even redder if possible. The thought of vomit actually made him a little sick since he has a weak stomach but he held it down as he doesn't want to embarrass himself any further than he had done with the mashed potatoes.

____

Hermione smiled and lowered her hand from his mouth. But she was a little wary that he might start up the chatter about Draco. "Alright," she says and pushed the parchment and quill towards Harry more. "I'm going to leave you to write your letter."

____

Harry smiled as a thank you at her. He looked down at his paper, dipped his quill in his ink and began writing. Want to go flying tomorrow afternoon after supper? Where do we meet though? If you want, we can explore back in the yellow bedroom for the rest of the day today? Harry gave the letter to Hedwig. "Stay with us for a while, Hedwig," he tells her, a little anxious about Draco's safety when the twins obviously are putting together their prank. "I'm afraid the twins are planning some trick on Draco."

____

George gave Harry an innocent look, "What?" He was grinning mischievously on the inside at how their prank will be like if successful. But of course, all their pranks are successful.

____

Fred snickered at his twins' acting. He and his twin could probably persuade the minister to have them over for lunch with how good they are at acting. "Oh, look! It will happen any second now!"

____

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, seeing Draco's favourite breakfast sweets pop out of nowhere. "Red Velvet muffins." Fred and George chuckled and started counting down from 10. Harry could hear the mischief in the laughter of the twins. Harry watched as Draco bit into a Red Velvet muffin and then 'Bang!', Draco turned into a whiteish blonde ferret. The ferret squeaked madly and began hissing at everyone on the Slytherin table and backing away from them with his tail all fuzzed up.

____

The ferret bit Crabbe on the finger and played with him like he was a chew toy when he tried picking him up. Harry snickered and thought that Draco as a ferret is so adorable! There was a flash of white light and Draco was back, glaring at the Weasley twins with tinges of red on his cheeks from humiliation. Fred and George wriggled their fingers at Draco and blew kisses at him. 

____

"I will get you for this, Weasels!" Draco yelled and stormed out of the Great Hall. The chatter around the Great Hall increased again and all that the topic seemed to be was ferrets and Draco.

____

Harry petted Hedwig on the head, feeling the need to go after Draco and make sure he's okay. "Go deliver this letter to Draco Malfoy, please." Hedwig turned her head to look at Harry, her yellow eyes piercing into his green ones with disbelief. "Yes! I mean the Draco just stormed out of the Hall. Please, It's important!" Hedwig blinked and flew after Draco with the letter in her mouth. Harry sighed in relief. Although, he knew that Draco the ferret wouldn't be a bad pet after all.

____

Hermione poked Harry on the shoulder, knowing that the prank must have had an effect on her best friend. "Harry, Are you okay? Do you wish for me to tell the twins off or something?" Fred and George smirked when hearing that they could get told off by Hermione. She can try, but they never listen.

____

Harry shook his head, not wanting anybody to get into trouble right now. "Nah, I think Draco should have a say in this actually," he said to her and wondered what punishments Draco could give the twins. The thought was intriguing though. He would like to see the part of Draco that he hasn't seen yet.

____

Hermione shook her head with a small smile, still wondering in what way this is going to work. "If you think that's wise then sure go ahead and give Draco the power to punish Fred and George," she says and makes it sound like it's a bad idea. It kind of is though. Letting someone have the power to give hell on whoever chosen.

____

Harry thought about it, but he would rather Draco give Fred and George his worse than Hermione who's a bit more sensual... Oh, now he sees it. Perhaps it is a little bad to let someone punish the twins their own way. "Should I go after him?" he then asked her as the thought of Draco being upset made him a little sad.

____

Hermione smiled warmly at Harry; glad he chose wisely. "That's your choice to decide, Harry," she says and gives his hand a little pat. "Not mine."

____

Harry nodded. He didn't know if he should go and find Draco, to comfort him but he knew he could be anywhere. Draco had loads of other secret places that Harry never knew of around Hogwarts, it could possibly take ages to find him. Or he could just be in the Slytherin dormitory and he was thinking too much. But Harry knew that it's better if he does look for him rather than not. "I'll go after him, see you soon Hermione!"

____

Hermione nodded and gave him a knowing smile, "Alright, Harry," she says and gives a little wave. "See you soon!"

____

Harry got up and left the Great Hall to go find Draco, he couldn't see him anywhere as he was outside the Great Hall's doorway and Hedwig doesn't shed so he had no way of finding him. The first place Harry decided to look was under the Willow tree, and he didn't find him there. So, he then went into the library's secret room but there was still no sight of him. Could he be in the yellow bedroom? Surely, he didn't go into the green door and enter through the next green door, right? It would have been silly of him. What would have happened if there was another giant basilisk living behind one of the doors?

____

Harry shook the thought of another beast roaming the castle and decided to just go there and find him. He entered through the first yellow door; it was surprisingly still lit up by the 'Lumos Maxima' Draco has cast the other day they went there. Harry entered through the first green door and walked through the green torch-lit hallway but found out that none of the doors had been opened. He knocked on the doors and called out to Draco, wondering if he managed to open a door but had been trapped. When there wasn't a returned knock or someone calling for help, he returned back up to the dormitory and headed back to his common room to finish off homework.

____

However, as he turned a corner into another corridor, he spotted Draco leaning up against the wall with his hands covering his face, looking a little distressed and humiliated. He had been turned into a ferret, so it would make sense. He felt entirely sorry for Draco, even if it was a funny prank. He would understand how humiliated Draco would be even if he never had been turned into an animal.

____

Harry carefully walked over to Draco but when his footsteps were heard just by the tapping on the stone floor, the Slytherin looked up at him and hesitated. He smiles slowly and just stood there, trying to come up with something to say. "Hey, are you doing okay?"

____

Draco gives him a slow nod, and a little smile. He was humiliated as hell from the event that happened today and felt like he didn't want to go back into the Great Hall for an entire month. "I'm alright, Harry," he assured him. "I'm just a little... embarrassed, that's all."

____

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Draco," Harry said softly and took the last final steps forward until he was at least two feet from Draco. "I have no idea how I am able to help you, but do you at least want a hug?"

____

Draco's eyes seemed to brighten a little from the offer, and his smile grew. He's not really a big hugger, not even with Ivy, but for Harry, he would give him the biggest hugs as the Gryffindor needs them. "Of course, I would like a hug."

____

Harry ended the space between them a little hesitantly into a hug, and he snuggled into the hug as it was just so comfy and warm. He loves Draco's hugs and who wouldn't? "I hope this all ends soon, and that you feel a little better."

____

"I hope so too, Harry," Draco says and gives him a little squeeze in the hug, making Harry chuckle and squeeze back. He leaned away from the hug a little but placed his arms around Harry's elbows. "Why don't we go for a little walk around the castle for the rest of lunch? I'd rather spend time with you than anyone else really. Ivy and Pansy laughed at me when I...changed but I don't care."

____

Harry nodded at the suggestion to walk around the castle with Draco. Although, he felt guilty because he believes that he also laughed a little at the twin's prank on Draco. God, he felt bad and wanted to just isolate himself again from everyone, but Draco was here. "I'm sorry about them," he said a little solemnly. "And I would love to spend time with you." They smiled at each other and decided to start their walk around the castle together.

____

*****

____

Saturdays. Ah, Saturdays. They were Harry's favourite day of the week and I'm sure you know why. No school classes or work, except for the leaning tower of homework that had to be done before the due dates.

____

Harry was in the library finishing his Charms, Transfiguration, Defense against the dark arts and Care of Magical Creatures homework. He still wondered where Draco was, hoping he was okay wherever he is. He probably was with Ivy and Pansy Parkinson in the Slytherin common room talking about whatever. He wished he could be in those conversations so he could spend more time with Draco, but also his friends.

____

Harry had to use up a whole page to write about certain spells and animals, where they originate from, who founded them, what are their uses and if they're extinct or not. It took Harry a good one hour, but he managed to finish them all. All that was left was Potions homework but he decided to do that in the afternoon so he could have the whole day to himself.

____

Harry felt like his brain was clogged with unnecessary information, so he headed back to his dorm to get some rest. As he left the library, Professor McGonagall stood outside waiting for Harry. "Mr Potter, would you please come with me?" she asked gently and smiles as she sees the books in her student's arms. It was obvious he has been studying. "This is a Gryffindor meeting you have to attend, and before you say anything yes, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are already there."

____

Harry nodded and followed the Gryffindor head of house into what looked like the Great Hall. No, it was the Great Hall, but all the tables had disappeared and in the middle of the room was a large gramophone. Seriously though? Why use such an old object.

____

Hermione and Ron waved at Harry who just entered, and Harry gave a shy wave back with a small smile. He walked over to sit beside Ron, not knowing why everyone in Gryffindor house was here and separated into genders.

____

Professor McGonagall fiddled with an old gramophone in the centre of the room, then turned around to face the students. "As I am aware, you all are puzzled to why you're here," she started, ignoring how bored most of the students looked. "This is for the Yule Ball; we'll be practising dancing with partners as it is house etiquette."

____

There were murmurs of disgrace throughout the boys' side of the room and giggles on the girls' side of the room. Not many people found this appealing, especial.ly Ron as he grunted loudly, clearly hating where this was going.

____

"Mr Weasley! If you'll be so kind as to join me on the dance floor," the professor said with a smile as she heard the boy's rude gesture. She hurriedly gestured him towards her, and Ron rolled his eyes and made his way over to the professor. "That would be quite marvellous!"

____

George tapped Harry on the shoulder, grinning with his eyes. "Oh, this is going to be fun!"

____

Harry looked up at them and gave the twins a knowing look. "You're not going to let him forget this, are you?" Fred and George shook their heads with big grins on their lips. Harry looked away from the twins and their mischief. He really felt like the twins were brothers to him, as well as Ron and perhaps Percy.

____

"Now, put your hand on my waist," the professor ordered Ron simply.

____

Ron looked a little awkward at the professor's words, and he looked at Harry for help. He didn't want to dance with his professor. "Your what?" he asked appallingly as Harry shook his head at him and gave him the thumbs up.

____

"My waist, Mr Weasley," she said sternly. Couldn't he get this one instruction right for once?

____

Ron nodded a little and held his right hand on the professor's waist and his left hand held the professor's hand. He really didn't like this any more than he liked dancing with his own mother. What made it worse was hearing Fred and George whistling at him. He gave both his older brothers glares but continued to dance with his professor. Bloody Hell, it was embarrassing.

____

After about a minute of dancing, the professor let go of Ron and walked back into the middle of the room. "Very good, Mr Weasley. Please, take a seat," she told him, and when Ron went back to sit with Harry she continued. "Now, I want you all to grab a partner, you can all swap partners if you'd like. I trust you'll be sensible when dancing with your partners, no funny business!"

____

Everyone on the stands all grabbed a partner except Ron, Harry, Fred, and Hermione. They all were just waiting to be asked by someone, but nobody was asking them. So, they just sat there in silence, either watching their fellow Gryffindors dance or just stare at the ground in front of them.

____

"Well, this is... boring," Ron said first with a long sigh, his arms were holding up his chin which was resting on the palm of his hand. Harry just couldn't have agreed more than to believe this was boring and a waste of time.

____

Hermione got up and gestured Ron to take her hand. She just wants to do something instead of doing nothing. "C'mon, I don't want to stand or sit here looking like a fool," she told him quickly with a bit of strictness. "Up you get!"

____

Ron looked up at her and took her hand, pushing himself off the bench as she pulled him to the dance floor. He looked behind him at his best mate, smiling a little. "See you, Harry. Save a dance for me!"

____

Harry chuckled at his best mate and watched him dance with Hermione. Ron accidentally stepped on Hermione's toe once every few minutes, this made Harry laugh some more. Harry noticed Fred sitting up behind him, smiling at his own twin brother teaching some girls and boys the macarena and the nut bush. Harry turned around on his seat and said, "Want to dance?"

____

Fred gave Harry a curious look before nodding and taking Harry's hand in his. It would be new to dance with a guy, though he dances with George sometimes. They both walked into the middle of the dance floor though Harry hesitated as he doesn't even know how to dance. But he wants to learn if he could. "Um... Fred? I-, I can't dance."

____

Fred just smiled at him. This was intriguing to hear. He will do his best to help his non-blooded brother the best he can. "No worries, Harry," he said with a dismissed wave of his hand. "Just place your right hand on my waist and your left hold with my hand."

____

Harry did what he was instructed to do by Fred and held Fred's waist with one hand and held Fred's hand with the other. That was that. Now, what did he have to do? He mainly wanted to know how to dance so he can impress Draco. "Now what?"

____

"The basic steps," said Fred as he placed his hands where they had to be, on Harry's waist and the other held Harry's hand. "And that is all we will have time to learn are, step step, step hold, step step, step hold. And again, and again."

____

Harry nodded and tried his best to move his feet in the correct order. It couldn't do it at all. It was hard! He flushed in embarrassment as he nearly tripped over his own feet. "Sorry!" he mumbles and looks down at his feet to make sure they're going in the right direction. Merlin, how do people do this?

____

"It's fine," Fred said, and his smile grows. "You have to listen to the beats in the music, you just don't start moving." He tried his hardest to help Harry learn how to dance even if his toes kept getting squashed by Harry. He didn't weight a lot so that wasn't a problem. "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and begin...Listen to the music, follow the beat of the music..." Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Harry was starting to get a hold of the dancing.

____

Fred guided Harry slowly around the dance room, making sure not to knock into others dancing. Harry took dancing with Fred an advantage, he was tired of girls asking him to be their Yule Ball partners. So hopefully they will see now that he's not really interested in females, only males and one by the name of Draco Malfoy. However, he'll keep his crushes' identity a secret because he doesn't exactly know if Draco likes him back. People have been saying that he likes him back, but they could only be guessing.

____

The music recorder changed songs from old classic jazz and played 'Dancing Queen', by Abba. Harry remembers this song from one of Petunia's albums and music collections. She loves her Abba, Fleetwood Mac, and a few other bands like the Beatles. Harry's found so many albums that it's not even funny.

____

Fred only smiled at Harry then grabbed a hold of his waist and placed Harry's hand on his shoulder. He wanted to take the dancing up a notch a little. What better way is to start waltzing? He then started waltzing with Harry, leading the dance until the very end.

____

There were whistles coming from the crowd of students watching them, but they didn't care. They glided across the dance floor, waltzing past other people who were slow dancing and doing the Macarena. They waltzed past Seamus and Dean who were slow dancing together. Seamus and Dean were looking into each other's eyes lovingly, they even kissed a few times.

____

"Where on earth did you learn to dance like this?" Harry asked in between dance moves. He just followed Fred's movements, even if he sucked at waltzing and dancing in general. Practice makes perfect though. He doesn't know where he picked that up from, but it must have been from a movie.

____

"Oh, George and I had a few dance lessons back when we were kids," Fred told him and looked towards his twin, still dancing the macarena with a few girls and guys. "In fact, maybe you should dance with Georgie sometime. He can definitely Tango pretty well if I do say so myself. He's a legend, that one is."

____

"I don't know how to Tango," said Harry, breaking eye contact from the twin he's dancing with just to look below him at the floor. He was a little disappointed in himself for not knowing how to dance. It should be easy, right? Just a few dance moves.

____

Fred noticed how Harry just went from sad to normal in just seconds, he knew he needed to keep an eye on his younger non-blood related brother. "I wonder if Dumbledore has a whole secret dance squad?" He asked and laughed at the thought. "That'll be something, George and I would even join."

____

Harry chuckled, knowing the Twins would do a lot of mischief in the dance team if there even was one. The thought of a Hogwarts dance team was just unbelievable. He knows there are famous dancers in the muggle world but what about the wizarding world? Would the wizarding world have famous dancers too or just singers? "I wonder if Dumbledore was a dancer."

____

Fred chuckled at that thought. "Dumbledore, a dancer?" he asked in disbelief. Though the man when he was younger could have been a dancer and nobody would have known it. "More like Dumbledance." Harry laughed at the same thought.

____

For the finale of the dance, Fred lifted Harry up into the air and brought him back down like a swan. He then twirled Harry around and ended up dipping him to the floor. Harry and Fred catch their breath from the intimate dancing they've just done and stared into each other's eyes with friendly smiles on their faces.

____

"You two should kiss!" George yelled from the side of the room. There were a few chuckles heard around the room as well as whispers and gasps. Harry rolled his eyes at his fellow Gryffindor's and their weird needs to see two guys kissing. Although, he understands how it is when seeing two guys kiss. It's adorable like when he catches Seamus and Dean snogging here and there.

____

Fred helped Harry up from the dance position they were in. he didn't want Harry's back hurting form staying in that position for too long. He knows how it feels like when he does a bridge on the carpet. It hurts after a while.

____

George winked at Harry and his twin, just loving seeing them two dance together and joy each other's company. "Aww! C'mon, you could have kissed!" he nearly shouted but didn't really care if the entire Gryffindor house hears him. He just likes embarrassing his twin and whoever else he can embarrass. "It would have been a pretty sight."

____

Fred ignored his twin brother and brings Harry towards him, just knowing his twin would want to dance with Harry as well. He could sense it even if George were a few miles away. It's just their twin connection. They're inseparable.

____

Harry sighed at these twin brothers who were getting on his nerves a little. He can't blame them though. It's their nature to be annoying and prank people. He decided to give George what he wanted and kissed Fred on the cheek. "There, we kissed..." he said to the other Weasley twin whose name is George. "Happy now?" Fred chuckled and cupped his hand where Harry kissed him, a slight rosiness appeared on his face and there were more gasps and whispers heard from the girls in the room.

____

George came over and rested his elbow on his twin's shoulder, smirking down at Harry who had just kissed his twin. When will he get a kiss though? "It would have been better if it was a lip kiss, but it'll do," he said and slapped his twin hard on the back and gave Harry a soft smile. "So, when can I dance with Harry?"

____

"I'm never washing my face again," Fred said in a dreamy tone, and cupped his hand over his cheek with a smile. It was all just an act actually. He enjoys making people laugh, and making he definitely achieved. He even had Harry laugh at him. "You can dance with Harry anytime I guess..." he said and lowered his hand from his cheek.

____

George winked at his twin and took a step forwards until he was in front of Harry. He held his left arm out as he said, "Would you like to dance, my lady?"

____

Harry rolled his eyes but nodded and let George take his hand and take him to the middle of the dance floor. They slow danced with each other, whispering hilarious things to each other like when George and his twin pranked professor Snape and made his whole potions room the colour pink.

____

Harry chuckled at the thought of Snape, the dark potions master's face seeing pink everywhere in his classroom. Oh, he knows it would be a nightmare for the Potions professor. Though he would have loved to see the classroom coated in pink which was probably Snape's unfavorite colour.

____

George told Harry how they thought Ron was gay thanks to the Marauders Map because he was always sleeping with some guy named Peter. Harry laughed so hard at that and told George the whole story from Scabbers and everything, even though George knew the rest. However, the thought of Ron being gay did make him wonder if Ron would accept him which he still needs to let out. Yet again he still needs to come out of the closet to Ron.

____

They were gliding across the floor together, George still whispering mischief that he and Fred had done over the years. "So, I still haven't gotten a kiss from you yet," he said, smirking and fluttering his eyelashes at him. "When will that be?"

____

Harry chuckled at the Weasley twin and his weird obsession with getting kisses from him. He doesn't mind these questions because they're a little funny. "Not sure, when will you get it?" he asked him a little cheekily with a smirk.

____

"That's why I'm asking you, Harry-kins," George said and span Harry around in the dance, grinning a little at how well his favourite little non-blooded brother is doing at dancing. It appears his twin has taught Harry well. Maybe he can teach Harry a little something too.

____

Harry just sighs and smiles, the thought of Draco suddenly popping into his head. He could see himself and Draco dancing like this, together like a couple. He wanted it, he really did but he just couldn't go find Draco and jump into his arms. It would be a little suspicious, wouldn't it? After a while, he said, "Thanks for the dance."

____

"It's no problem at all, Harry," George said as Harry let go of his waist and shoulder. He then tapped a finger to his cheek, gesturing what he wanted. All he wants is a peck, is all. Anything else is a no-no for him.

____

Harry rolled his eyes and gave George a quick kiss on the cheek just so not a lot of people see. It was just a quick peck after all, and it was fun doing it. "You guys are weird, you know that right?" he asked them earnestly with a little smile.

____

George nodded and smirked at his non-blooded little brother. He enjoys these types of what he calls compliments because they can be quite a laugh in the end. He's been called weird a lot of times with his twin and that's okay. "Oh, we know that already."

____

Ron walked over to Harry and his twin brothers, a little hurt that they got to dance with his best mate before he could. "Oi mate!" he called over to them. "I asked for my dance with you way before these two idiots had the chance to ask."

____

"Now, now Ronny-kins," said George, not liking the tone or words his younger brother was using. What happened with sharing? It's what his family do best. "Sharing is caring, remember?"

____

Fred walked over from where Lavender, Padma, Hermione, Neville, and Professor McGonagall was learning the Macarena. "And ouch!" he said and gave a slow disbelieving head shake at the word his younger brother called him. "We can take being called weird, but not an idiot."

____

Ron sighed. He understood this but he had to get his brother's attention somehow. He could have just called their names instead of calling them an idiot though. "Right, sorry," he said and scrubbed his hand over his face, kind of regretting the word he called his older brothers.

____

"There, there, Ronny-kins," George said softly while stroking his younger brothers' hair. The easiest way to get back at him right now is to caress his hair and it always works. He and Fred will come up with a better way to get back at him sooner. "It's okay

____

Ron didn't like being petted on the head, so he walked towards Harry, holding out his hand. "Wanna dance?" he suggested with a smirk. The thought of dancing with a guy was a little weird but if it's with his best mate he doesn't really mind.

____

Harry raised an eyebrow at his best mate, wondering if his best mate was joking around with him. But it didn't seem like a joke. Maybe dancing with him would be the joke. "Uhm... sure," he said and rubbed at his arms, feeling just a little awkward.

____

"Yay!" Ron said and pumped a fist in the air just to be a little silly. It was only for show though, his excitement. He wouldn't actually feel this hyped up about dancing with his best mate. It's just them having a little bit of fun.

____

McGonagall walked back into the middle of the room where the gramophone was, a smile on her face as she turned it off. "Alright everyone, dance time is over," she said loudly so her students can hear her. "You may head to your dormitories for the rest of the morning. All I can say is well done; we have all learnt some new dances today."

____

"No!" Ron said sadly, a frown upon his face.

____

Harry laughed at his friend, finding it funny how he missed out on a dance with his best mate because of McGonagall. "It's okay, Ron," he assured him with a slight smirk to his face. "We can dance at midnight under the stars if you'd like."

____

Ron curled his lip in disgust, not liking how mushy the thought sounds. "Yeah, no," he told his best mate, shaking his head. It just sounds too weird to him. "Too weird, I wouldn't be caught dead dancing under the stars with someone."

____

"Yeah, right," said Harry in disbelief, knowing someone will come into Ron's life and make him actually dance under the stars during the night while they twinkle and the crickets' chirp. "We will see."

____

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows at his best mate while curiosity got the best of him. Maybe Harry meant the dancing thing? But he really wouldn't like to be dancing in the middle of the bloody night with someone. Earlier would be nice, like at sunset.

____

"Oh nothing, let's just head to the common room," Harry said with a small grin, got up and walked in the direction of the exit. Ron nodded, jogged up to Harry and felt his stomach rumble. When will lunch be? He's hungry.

____

In the Slytherin common room, everyone who was under the age of 14 was removed from the common room and ushered to their dormitories by Snape and the Prefects, and he moved all the furniture to the side so there was enough room for the dancing that would be taking place.

____

Draco stood by Blaise, Ivy, and Pansy, knowing what was happening as his professor had told him earlier today, and it wasn't very hard to guess. But the thing is many Slytherin's knew how to dance as they've had dance lessons as kids. He didn't know if the muggle-born Slytherins, which the Slytherin house does have, know how to waltz and ball dance.

____

"Everyone, if you wish to not appear like a fool at the Yule Ball find a partner," Snape drawled and pointed his wand at the large old gramophone which then turned on the old classic ballroom music.

____

Ivy and Draco immediately partnered up and went to the front of the group of Slytherins. Together, they were #Teamcousins. Blaise and Pansy didn't mind at all as they just partnered up easily and joined Draco and Ivy.

____

"How long do you think this will be for?" asked Ivy quietly into her cousins' ear, and Draco shrugged quickly as his professor looked at them with a cold expression. He grimaced a little and straightened his back, knowing the dancing lessons were soon to start.

____

"There will be no talking," said Snape as he began walking slowly back and forth in front of his Slytherin students. "No whispering, giggling, fraternizing, fondling, or any further form of disgusting behaviour that doesn't involve learning to dance. Any sort of that behaviour and you will be excluded from this practice and made a fool of yourself when the Yule Ball approaches. Are there any questions?" A few people raised their hands, but he chose to ignore them. "No? Good. Boys put a hand on your partner's waist. Girls put a hand on your partner's shoulder and the other hold your partners' hand. For those whose genders are the same within partnering, you decide what comforts you best."

____

"But professor, haven't you ever been in love?" asked a young girl with golden-brown hair, and her arms were around a girl her age but with Strawberry Blonde hair colour. She was leaning her head on her girlfriends' shoulder with a smile.

____

"Please keep these questions to yourself, Ms Bennet," said Snape coolly with his monotoned voice. "The type of questions is not tolerated for this conversation and isn't relevant to dancing at all. Now, who would like to demonstrate the moves of waltzing?" Nobody had put their hands up except for Draco and Ivy, so Snape looked directly at Blaise and Pansy. "Mr Zabini and Ms Parkinson, do step forward and show everyone how to waltz properly."

____

Draco and Ivy sigh as they wanted to show everyone, but they thought it would be funny to see their friends dancing together. They expected to have a laugh, but Pansy and Blaise danced like their lives depended on it. They were graceful, made no mistakes, and danced perfectly.

____

Draco watched them with a little pout, wishing he had Harry with him so he could dance with him. He wondered if Harry had his dancing lessons yet, and where he could be right now. Was he chosen to dance in front like Pansy and Blaise? Who did he dance with and was it a boy or girl? He doesn't mind if it was Weasel or Granger, but if it were someone he didn't know personally, oh, he will find out about it and hunt them down.

____

"Draco...?" asked Ivy quietly and elbowed him lightly, smiling as she knew hew was deep in thought and probably thinking of a certain boy who is in Gryffindor house and has dark hair and green eyes.

____

Draco blinked and looked to his side at her. "Sorry, I was thinking," he whispered back. Ivy elbowed him again but slightly harder, her smile widening, and she let out a soft little giggle which didn't attract any attention at all.

____

"Thinking about a certain Harry Potter are you, Draco?" she asked and smirked when seeing a blush form on Draco's neck and cheek. "Busted! But it's okay. Think about him all you want, Draco. Nobody's going to stop you from loving him." Draco smiled at her and when everyone began to dance minutes later, they started dancing as well.

____

*****

____

Harry walked into the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione by his side. He hoped word hadn't gotten out about his sexuality due to the dancing fiasco. The trio sat down at their usual seats, Ron gathering up all the food he could on his plate and Hermione looking at him with disgust.

____

Harry wasn't really feeling that hungry anymore, he was too worried about if people knew the little secret about him. He did grab a Yorkshire pudding and plop it on his plate as well as some chicken, peas, and potatoes. He only really ate the pudding and some peas; he pushed the rest of his food around his plate.

____

Hermione looked over at Harry with worry, she knew he wasn't eating much these days as well as his change of behaviour. She only rarely sees him eating but doesn't he know that he must eat to survive the tasks? However, what she didn't know what how long he's been suffering. Ron was too busy stuffing his face with food to recognize his best mates' odd behaviour.

____

Harry pushed more food around on his plate and looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco, Pansy, and Ivy were having a serious conversation about something, probably the Yule ball and who they would take. Harry wished he could go and join them but knew that was impossible. He heard a familiar hoot coming from beside him, he looked over and spotted Hedwig right next to his goblet of juice. "Hedwig? When did you get here?"

____

"Harry," Hermione said, a little worriedly. How didn't he know that she's been there for minutes? She keeps wondering what's going through her best fr8uends mind every day, but she knew of one reason: Draco Malfoy. "She's been here for a while now; I can't believe you never noticed her."

____

Hermione was right, Harry hadn't noticed her. He has been too busy thinking about a certain Slytherin and feeling sick when looking at all the food on the table. "Right," He said torpidly and looked up at Hedwig, noticing she was holding a letter. "Sorry, Hedwig. Just been thinking." He grabbed the letter.

____

"Don't you mean thinking deeply, Harry?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. He's either thinking of something bad or thinking of Draco. She hoped the second option as it would hurt to find out Harry's been thinking of dark thoughts. But why would he think that deeply? Doesn't he enjoy life?

____

Harry ignored Hermione. Well, he just didn't hear her over the loud buzzing inside his head. He read the note and knew it was from Draco. He could recognize the beautiful cursive handwriting from anywhere.

____

I'd love to go flying tomorrow night, Harry. We should meet under the Willow tree; nobody goes there but me and now you. I'd definitely like to explore more of those doors, but we would have to be careful. Let's meet up right after lunch.

____

Harry looked up at the Slytherin table, meeting eyes with Draco. He nodded and Draco nodded back with a smile. Harry felt a little sick just staring at the food, he decided he just wanted to be alone, so he got up and started walking out of the Great Hall. Draco watched as Harry got up, he'd been watching him and haven't seen Harry eat decent amounts of food. He's been really worried for his Gryffindor friend.

____

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione yelled towards his direction. The noise in the Great Hall was too loud to recognize Hermione's yelling. Her best friend worried her a lot at times. Especially with this eating thing.

____

Harry turned around as he was at the doors. He mouthed that he wants to be alone to her, but it seemed she didn't get what he meant. He sighed and went straight to the bathroom to vomit up his food. He always hated this; it was why he never ate. He was fine a few days ago when eating vegetables. Maybe it's the veggies and fruits he should be eating. As soon as he finished emptying his stomach, he repeated the same process of gurgling water, spitting it out and taking a sip of water to wash it all down. He cleansed his mouth with a spell, walked over to the cupboard and opened it. He grabbed his tin, tipped it upside down and let the blade fall out of the tin onto his hand. He rolled up his sleeve and let himself release the overwhelming feelings on his arm. He didn't realize how deep he was going; he even came to the conclusion that he didn't care what happened. He then cleaned himself up from his blood and headed out of the bathroom and out of the common room into a corridor. He just wanted to go and sit down for a while.

____

At the Slytherin table.

____

Ivy watched Harry leave the Gryffindor table and her cousin Draco did too. She noticed that Harry had the sort of vibe and expression she usually has when she wants to be alone. "Dray, Harry just left the Great Hall," she whispered into his ear, though he already knew as he was staring at him. "This could be a chance to ask him to the Yule Ball or even ask him out."

____

Draco watched the familiar mop of raven coloured hair leave the Great Hall and he sighed; he has been very worried about Harry for a while. He hasn't been eating and shows the similar signs of depression just like Ivy does, but he couldn't believe Harry would be depressed. Harry Potter? The Golden Boy. The Boy who Lived couldn't be depressed. "I guess..."

____

Pansy nearly spat out her strawberry tea. She didn't believe this boy. "You guess?!" she asked and widened her eyes, nearly hissing "No! Dray, you should go get your man before another man does."

____

Draco sighed and rested his head on his hand over the table, wondering why he is still here being interrogated by his friends. "You girls are so annoying sometimes," he said while fingering his collar, gesturing how annoyed he was with them. "Can't you just give me a break?"

____

Ivy shook her head at him, a small smile on her face. "Seriously, Dray. Go and get your Gryffindor Prince," she told him with a squeeze to his shoulder and a serious expression. "It can't be that hard!"

____

Draco slid down in his seat until his chin was resting on the table. "Fine, fine," He said with a long sigh and started to get up off his seat. He leaned his arms over the table, staring down at his curried eggs. "I'll try. Besides, I don't think I can just say 'Oh Hello Harry, I've been crushing on you for who knows how long, and would you like to go to the Yule ball with me?' I'd be trying so hard to not start to stutter and sound like a fool."

____

Ivy and Pansy smiled warmly at their best friend and watched him leave the Great Hall after Harry. The excitement rushed through their bodies and they just wanted to get up themselves and follow Draco to wherever he goes thinking they might stumble onto something intriguing.

____

Ivy turned her head to look at her best friend Pansy and gave her a wide excited grin. "Think he'll make it to Harry in time?" she asked her though the thought seemed possible. She just hoped it was possible for Draco to get to Harry.

____

Pansy sighed and leaned her head on Ivy's shoulder. "Not too sure, I just hope he does the promise, she said, and her eyes gleamed with inner enthusiasm. "I'm so waiting to see them kiss in front of the whole of Hogwarts. It just needs to happen!"

____

Ivy giggled at the thought of finally seeing her cousin and Harry kissing, and she agreed with Pansy 100%. "It sure does."

____

Draco walked out of the Great Hall and looked around; he couldn't see Harry anywhere in sight. He quietly cursed to himself and looked back at Ivy and Pansy for reassurance. As soon as they both gave him the thumbs up, he nodded and continued to walk towards where he thought Harry went.

____

He knew he was going towards the Gryffindor Tower, he just continued walking until he saw a figure sitting down beside a large window. He noticed it was who he wanted to see all along, Harry Potter. He hesitantly sat down next to the Gryffindor, not sure if his presence was recognized yet. "Harry?"

____

Harry just noticed someone sitting next to him and looked up into the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. His heart did a total flip just then as not just his friend, but his crush had just sat next to him willingly. "Yeah?" He sounded a little numb, but he didn't mind right now. Draco probably wouldn't see any difference.

____

"Are you okay?" Draco asked softly. He wanted to comfort him with gestures but didn't know if it would make him feel uncomfortable. It's what he gets from Ivy too, so he knows how to deal with this and comfort people. He just needed to get Harry to open up to him.

____

Harry nodded and looked back down at the floor like he had been before the Slytherin came. Of course, the question he's been dreading most of his life. "Yeah," he lied and regretted it so badly. Why must his life be so hard, and full of lies and fake smiles? It's all just so hard, life he means. Life's so hard and he wished at times like now it could be easier.

____

Draco didn't believe it at all. He can see the signs of depression, but he just doesn't believe that Harry's depressed. Why would he be? Doesn't he have a good family? That's just the question. Who does Harry live with? Obviously, everyone in the Wizarding World knows Harry's parents are dead but who does he live with?

____

"Harry, I just wanted to tell you, and I mean everything that I'm about to say here... you are loved by so many people," Draco told him in a soothing voice and reached out for Harry's hand. Harry didn't even flinch when he grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze. "I know you don't believe it, and I understand that. I know that Weasley and Granger love you so much because they're your friends and they care so much for you. I might not be their friend, but I know they do. And... I love you."

____

Harry looked up at Draco in disbelief, into those silver eyes which gleamed with an inner light and an emotion Harry couldn't pick up. His heartbeat picked up speed until it was hammering against his chest. Did Draco really mean that... No, it's just the love of a friend. Not anything else. But he was grateful that Draco was telling him this. It didn't exactly help that much but it kind of gave him hope.

____

Draco gave a sad smile as their eyes locked. He practically came out to Harry, and then kind of didn't. That's okay though. "Harry, you're a really incredible guy who I love getting to know even more every day," he said and just hopes Harry believes him. It took a very long time for Ivy to believe everything he says, almost an entire month but he got there in the end. Now he knows he needs to help Harry. "Ivy and Pansy are warming up to you too. Your dorm mates all love and care for you. Our professors all do too though it might not feel like it. We all love and care for you. Know that I and all your friends are here for you and we will never leave you. You're the best thing that has happened to us all. You're important to all of us in our own ways."

____

Harry blinked infrequently at him, really thinking about what Draco has told him. It all was really hard to believe. Do people love him? If they did then how come they haven't seen past his forced smiles?

____

"Harry, I'm so sorry you're in pain," Draco says just as Harry frowns and looks down at his hands. "I won't ask you to tell me what's wrong and what you go through until you're ready. Do... you want a hug?" Hugs aren't Ivy's favourite thing, but she does enjoy them when she's really down.

____

Harry doesn't need him to ask for a hug. He would accept one any day from this amazing Slytherin. He didn't nod or open his arms up to gesture a hug. Instead, he leaned forward and snaked his arms around Draco's back for a hug, completely ignoring his hammering heart inside his chest.

____

Draco silently chuckled at Harry and gave him a soft expression while he hugged him back. He let his beating heart do its thing as he enjoys this little hug. But this hug is for Harry because he needs it more than anything else. "Are you still up for flying this afternoon and exploring more of the house coloured doors?"

____

Harry nodded slowly in the hug, scenting that beautiful vanilla smell in Draco's cologne which actually calmed him down a little. Not only was it from the Vanilla, but the citrus too. "Of course, I just need to finish off my Potions homework then I'll be done. It'll only take me about fifteen minutes then I'll meet you under the Willow tree."

____

Draco sighed in relief; glad Harry could still make it. He's been excited for their evening fly for a while. "Great!" he beamed and nuzzled his nose into Harry's neck, smelling that captivating pine scent. "I- um... I also wanted to ask you something... More like two somethings."

____

"Go on," Harry says, a little curious about these 'two somethings' Draco wants to ask. But then again, anything Draco says is interesting even if its about Potions. It's just his voice which is so calming and soft and something he really likes hearing every day.

____

Draco cleared his throat and leaned out of the hug so he could look back into green eyes. Curious green eyes. "So, um..." He didn't think it would be easy nor hard. Here goes nothing. "I've really liked a guy for such a long time him but it's hard to tell him that I like him."

____

Harry nodded slightly. What is he on about? He likes someone... Oh, he wishes that Draco liked him back. It'd be so much easier. He keeps remembering the day he kissed Draco when he was asleep. He looked like he was so happy and at peace. His lips, so soft and pretty... His silvery eyes, so beautiful and bright. "Well... you should just tell him how you feel." It's the advice every guy or girl gets in muggle movies and is the best advice he knows of.

____

Draco sighed. He knows he should tell Harry since he's right next to him but not if he's going to stutter like an idiot. And it's even harder when you're heart's beating like a drum too. "I know... It's just hard to because I either keep messing up my words or I say something stupid."

____

Harry knew for a fact that he stutters a lot around Draco as he gets easily distracted by his the Slytherin's attractiveness. "That sounds like me," he says with a small smile and watches as a strand of Draco's blonde hair falls over his eyes. He just wants to brush it back behind the Slytherin's ears. "Most of the time I stutter whenever I talk to my crush."

____

Draco was glad he could make Harry smile or laugh. Well, what would you say if it was you who I like? he thought with a dreamy smile. "Yeah, so anyway..." he says but then feels a sudden heat rise up to his cheeks as Harry reached a hand towards his face and brushed a lock of his hair away from his eyes. Merlin... Harry doesn't know how he makes Draco feel at all. "I was wondering..." He bit his lip. "Do you want to maybe go-"

____

Hermione came around the corner and sighed in relief. She's been wandering through Hogwarts looking for him. "Harry! I've been looking everywhere for you!" She then looked towards the person sitting next to her best friend. "Malfoy? What're you doing here?"

____

Draco was about to say, 'I'd like to ask you the same thing', but he stopped himself and sighed. He looked to Harry, smiled, and placed his hand over Harry's and gave it a little squeeze. "Harry, if I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Because only then will you realize how special you are to me." He placed his free hand on Harry's cheek and just caressed it whilst seeing Harry blush from underneath his fingers and his cheeks slightly warmed up. He thought about kissing Harry's cheek, but Granger was there and he rather this be a private moment between him and Harry.

____

He got up, ignoring Granger who seemed to be in tears for whatever reason that was and said to Harry, "Stay strong for me, Harry." Watching Harry's face redden a little more satisfied him, so he turned around and stormed off in the direction of the Slytherin common room. "For Salazar sakes!" he mumbled as he was far enough from the two Gryffindors. "I've been trying so hard to ask him out and all I get is interrupted by one of his friends!"

____

Hermione stood there, silently sobbing her hearty out from the beautiful moment she saw between Harry and Draco. Oh, she could have interrupted something if she never found Harry! "That was just so sweet!" she sobbed and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper. "He confessed to you, Harry. Anyway... Why was he here?"

____

"He wanted to ask me a question, but he never got to it," said Harry and the thought of what Draco wanted to tell him, if it wasn't for Hermione coming over at the wrong time, flooded his mind. What could he have wanted to ask Harry? The thoughts were endless.

____

Hermione felt a little guilty that she disturbed Harry and Draco's little moment. But had a knowing smile on her face as she just knew Harry liked Draco a lot and it seems Draco likes him back the same way. Oh, if only they could just see it by looking at each other. "Did he say anything else?"

____

"He only said that he's been liking a guy for a while and that he wants to ask him out but doesn't know how and when to," said Harry and he stroked his neck a little, thinking about Draco and who he could like. He just doesn't believe Draco would like someone like himself who's a freak. "I honestly think he's too nervous."

____

"Yeah, way too nervous," said Hermione with a shake of her head, disbelieving that Malfoy would be this nervous when around Harry. He seems like he can control his emotions so it should be easy for him. "By the way, why were you here?"

____

"Oh, I just wanted some alone time," Harry said which actually was true. That was until Draco somehow found him, but he doesn't mind at all. He enjoys Draco's company even in his darkest states of mind. He just wished Hermione, even though he loves having her around, didn't disturb the moment as he wanted to know what Draco wanted to ask him. "Let's head to the common room, I need to finish off Potions homework." Hermione nodded and Harry went back to the Gryffindor common room by Harry's side. She had a few things she needed to do as well.

____

Harry was back up in the Gryffindor common room working on his Potions homework, it took him a good 15 minutes to finish it since all he had to do was state what ingredients were used in the potion which he had his potions book that told him everything he needed to know and what the uses of the ingredients are. After he finished the homework, he rolled up his parchment and set it aside in his bag. He looked up with a yawn and saw Hermione reading a book on the other side of the common room. Harry hadn't read an actual book in ages, he thought it would be relaxing too so he got up and walked over to his best friend. "Hi, Hermione."

____

Hermione looked up from her book and smiled at her best friend. "Hello, Harry!" She had just finished a chapter of 'The Maze Runner' and was onto the next. Honestly, she just ships Newt and Thomas together so bad! They are her favourite fantasy ship ever! Besides her best friend and Draco being together. Oh, what would their ship name be?

____

Harry fiddled with his fingers, wanting to ask her about a book he could borrow from her. But what would he read? "Uhm... Do you have any books I might be interested in reading?" he asked her and looked down at the book she was reading. The maze runner.

____

Hermione gave her best friend a curious look as she knew Harry doesn't like reading. Unless she is wrong but she's never wrong. "I might do," she says with a nod and thinks about the dozens of books in her trunk that's spelled to be bigger on the inside. "What are you interested in reading?"

____

Harry shrugged and looked out the window beside him to the bright blue sky, seeing little birds fly around in the distance. The blue of the sky reminded him of the slight touch of light blue he sees in Draco's eyes. He likes a good fantasy book, or non-fiction but adventurous. "I'm not sure, fantasy, adventure, or romance maybe?"

____

Hermione nodded; she had a lot of those kinds of books to read when she finishes her homework early. She loves muggle book more than wizarding ones, to be honest even if the magical world is more interesting than the muggle one. It's just the fantasies people come up with like Steven King, Agatha Christi, C. S. Lewis, Suzanne Collins, and James Dashner. She reached to her bookbag that lay at her feed and shoved a hand in there as she said, "I might have a few that you'd like."

____

Harry was shocked to see Hermione's whole arm disappear inside of the book bag; the bag surely wasn't that big. But then again, this was a magical school that teaches magic, so anything is possible. Even flying is real. Well, flying brooms and cars. Oh, and flying horses, keys, and pixies.

____

Hermione sighed as she couldn't reach far enough into her bag and pulled her hand back out. "Accio the hunger games book," she said in a clear voice. A book coloured black with a yellow bird logo on the side and front cover jumped out of Hermione's book bag and into her hand. "Ah, here it is," she added and handed him the book. "The Hunger Games. It's a really good book to read, I've read it so many times."

____

"Thanks, Hermione!" Harry said as he looked at the front cover of the book. It had a perfectly rounded circle with a mockingbird in the middle. He then turned the book over and read the blurb of the book.

____

"It's no problem, Harry," Hermione said, shaking her head to gesture he didn't need to show gratitude to her. She smiles and dumps her bookbag by her feet again. "If you finished that one, I have the second and third book in the series."

____

"Sure," Harry said with a nod and started making his way back to the seat he was last in. He turned back around, remembering something he should tell her. "Hermione? Do you think Dumbledore has or had secret groups in Hogwarts?"

____

Hermione started laughing at the thought of Dumbledore having a dance class in Hogwarts, and Harry smiled at her as it really is a funny question. "I'm not actually too sure, Harry," she said and kept her giggles at bay. "There could have been but in Hogwarts: A History there is nothing of the sorts about a dance club."

____

"Do you think the word is going to spread that I'm... you know... into guys?" Harry asked suddenly, wanting to change the subject. He did a quick search of the room for any sign of Ron, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. He just had to make sure. He will tell Ron about his sexuality, just not yet.

____

Hermione nodded at him, watching carefully for any odd signs in his demeanour but she didn't see anything. "I don't think many people are going to believe it, Harry," she told him in an assuring voice. "People are going to think that since you're the 'Chosen One', you appear as straight. So, if you're worrying, you shouldn't. Only a few people are going to believe the rumours. Well, people who know you and are smart enough to see will see that you're not straight."

____

Harry sighed in relief; he didn't know if his mental health could deal with people calling him bad words all the time because of who he is. "Okay," he said and the first thought that pops into his mind is Draco and the flying date they have... Flying tryst. "Thank you for the talk, Hermione."

____

"It's no problem," Hermione said and smiled at her best friend; glad she could help him. She would like to know what's going on in her best friend's mind every now and then though. "You can talk with me about anything, you know that, right?"

____

Harry nodded. Of course, anything had it's no go zone. He couldn't talk about his depression to her, not yet at least. He gave his friend a reassuring nod and walked back to the chair he was sitting on to read the book. He then remembered he had to meet with Draco under the Willow tree, he got up and placed the book down on the chair. "Can you ask Ron to put the book on my bed for me? I'm meeting with... Well, you know?"

____

Hermione giggled at the realization that Harry was meeting up with Malfoy. It totally wasn't for a date though she has a feeling that Harry thinks of these meetings as dates. She nodded and continued reading her book. "Don't forget we're going formal shopping before dinner!" she reminded him without looking up at Harry.

____

Harry still wondered how she could do that, multitask. It must be just a Hermione thing to do. He rushed out of Gryffindor common room and headed down to the Willow tree to meet with Draco. He passed Peeves trying to drop rocks on 5th year's heads as they exited the library, and he chuckled at the poltergeist's mischief. He passed the three greenhouses and made his way over to the Willow tree.

____

He pushed the Willow's branches aside and walked on through. He heard a silent humming coming from the other side of the Willow's trunk and silently walked around the trunk and saw Draco. He was the one humming a tune and was staring blankly at the ground in front of him. Harry just stared at him, admiring his complexion and the song he was humming. He nearly fell over because he wanted to get a better look at the blonde. He decided to just make an appearance, so he sat down beside Draco and looked into his Silver eyes. "Hello, Draco."

____

Draco startled himself and looked into Harry's emerald green eyes. He's been waiting to see those green eyes for a while even if he saw them just this morning. But he gets so lost when looking into those orbs. "Oh, Hello Harry," he says and smiles at the sight sitting next to him. "Ready to explore more of the secret rooms?"

____

Harry nodded and gave the Slytherin the biggest smile he could muster, which wasn't very big. It was a small smile, and that's all that mattered. "I sure am." His hand, without him knowing, crawled towards Draco's hand until their pinkie fingers touched. Neither Harry nor Draco minded as they secretly loved physical contact with each other.

____

Draco returned the smile, but the smile was a more genuine one. He has noticed one thing with Harry though. He seems happier than he was this morning. He wondered why that was, not that he didn't think Harry was happy every day. "You seem more cheerful than this morning, what happened?"

____

"I'm just glad I'm able to spend time with you," Harry says in a soft tone, earnest too, and he moved his hand over Draco's. The Slytherin gasped a little in surprise and looked down at their hands, Harry doing the same. They slowly looked up into each other's eyes, which sparkled to their delight and their hearts hammered against their chests, and eyes darting from one's eyes, to their lips, and back again. Their noses were only inches away from the others until they heard a loud "Eh-Hem!" and swiftly looked up in front of them. 

____

Professor Sprout was looking down at them with her hands on her hips and a soft look on her face. It both shocked the boys so much to being found that the thought of being so close to one another was erased from their minds. "I'm surprised you two know of this place as it was I and the previous Herbology who planted this Willow tree," said the professor, and she looked to Draco with a smile. She was proud of him to finally come out to Harry, but that's just what she thought was happening. "I don't mind that you're here, of course, or what you do here, but right now this tree's in its stage of shredding before winter hits. So, if you'll be so kind as to find another spot in Hogwarts it would be lovely."

____

"Yes, professor," Harry and Draco said together and quickly got up, dusted themselves off, and hurried past their professor, and out from under the Willow tree. They arrived at the blank wall and looked around cautiously for oncoming students. Harry cast the "Alohomora!" and watched as the wall sank below the floor. They entered the dark tunnel and cast a "Lumos," lighting their wands up to see in front of them. The wall behind rose, sealing them in.

____

Harry pointed his wand in front of him. "Lumos Maxima!" he whispered. A bright white ball of light came out of Harry's wand and lighted the dark hallway up, showing the two boys vine carvings on the walls that looked centuries old, actual wall torches but smaller than average and a long red, blue, yellow and green striped mat from the entrance to the hallway to the three doors.

____

"Amazing!" Draco said, his eyes had widened, and he trailed his finger over the carvings. "Can't believe we never tried that when we first came in here. We can see everything more clearly now, instead of a dark scary hallway."

____

"Unimaginable!" Harry said as he nodded in agreement and looked over at the three doors. "Look at the doors! We can see them much better, there are even carvings on them." He walked over to the three doors with Draco behind him and looked at them closely. "There's writing on the doors and on this stone slab that is etched into the wall beside the yellow and red doors."

____

Draco looked closely at the stone slap and studied the writing. "It's Latin," he said and tried his best to translate the wording as much as he could. "'Hic mentiri conditor est necessarius exitus'." Harry thought Draco's voice sounded so amazing when talking in a different language, even if it was just a sentence. The Slytherin still surprises him every day.

____

Draco traced a finger over the Latin words. He knew a few of the words and what they meant. "I know 'mentiri' means to lie, as in here lies Helga Hufflepuff, for example. 'Conditor' and 'exitus' means founders and bedroom. I think it's saying, 'Here lie the founder's bedrooms'?"

____

"Oh, I think you're correct," said Harry who looked to the other side of the hallway at the Gryffindor door with a lion on it. He walked to it and wondered if this also would be the bedroom of Godric Gryffindor unless the one behind the green door is. Then what would this door be? "The word is just Godric's name, 'Godric Gryffindor'."

____

"And this must be Rowena's," said Draco who stood facing the Ravenclaw door which faced the Gryffindor door. He looked it up and down and Harry who was behind him felt a little jealous that Draco was looking at the door like that. Not that he cares or anything. The Slytherin then looked behind him at Harry, smiling as he caught him in the act of staring. "Should we... um, go in?"

____

"But what if this is a trap?" Harry points out and pointed his wand at the door as a precaution. "We saw the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor doors behind the green door, so what could be behind these doors?"

____

"Well, then we should find out," Draco said and gave Harry a playful little grin and a wink. He watched as a familiar blush rises up the Gryffindor's cheeks and it makes him feel satisfied with himself.

____

"You know, you're starting to act like a Gryffindor, Draco," Harry admits and gives the Slytherin a little playful poke in the arm. Draco starts laughing and his cheeks pinken with pleasure at what Harry's saying.

____

"You mean Gryffindork," Draco retaliates back after containing his laughter and crosses his arms over his chest. Even though he's Harry's friend, he likes riling him up because it's just cute watching him get all annoyed or angry because of him. It just always has been the Potter-Malfoy thing in their relationship.

____

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head a little ignorantly, "Whatever, Draco," he said and pursed his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh, wanting to change the subject to something more relevant. "Are you sure you want to open these doors instead of the others?"

____

"Let's just get this over with," Draco said with a quick wink and pointed his wand at the Ravenclaw door. He missed the blush that rose up Harry's neck to his cheeks by only a second. "Apertio!" With a 'click', the Ravenclaw door opened.

____

Draco quickly stood to the side of the door in case there was something inside the room and he reached a hand beside him where Harry was, guarding the Gryffindor with his life. He waited a few seconds, hearing if there was any noise coming from the room and sighed in relief. Harry smiled at the Slytherin protecting him, which he really didn't need, and pointed his wand towards the room and muttered, "Lumos Maxima!" Draco still stood to the side again, just for precaution and to protect Harry.

____

Harry stared at the scared Slytherin and chuckled, and Draco glared at Harry and said, "What?!" The Gryffindor looked down at the floor, just loving how Draco's being when slightly irritated. It always excited him. Oh, nothing, he thought with a smile and dug his foot into the mat. It's just that I find you adorable when facing apparent danger.

____

Draco returned the smile that Harry was giving him. He loves when Harry smiles, it always makes something inside him flutter and his heart beats as fast as a drum. The way Harry makes him feel is incredible! "You should smile more, Harry."

____

Harry looked directly up at Draco, asking himself if he heard wrong. Did he hear what he thought was a compliment and a very sweet one? Or did he think he heard what he wanted Draco to say? "Pardon?"

____

Draco blushed and quickly thought of words that rhyme's with 'smile'. He had to think of better options with getting away with compliments that shouldn't have come out but are very true. "I said, you have great style."

____

"Oh!" Harry said with a smile and clears his throat. A compliment came out of that perfect mouth of Draco's, but he wasn't wearing anything casual instead of his normal oversized white top and jeans. It was quite depressing and embarrassing actually. It's the only clothes he has that fits him and it's nothing of the sorts that he sees Draco wearing. Draco's always either in dark colours like different shades of blacks, greys, even some whites and dark greens.

____

"Thanks, you have great style too," Harry admits but knew Draco was lying as it definitely sounded like he was saying 'You should style more' rather than 'you have great style'. But 'You should style more' sounded a bit odd to Harry. So, what did Draco say?

____

"Uhm, let's just head in," Draco says, and he was still blushing. He cursed to himself and hoped his lie was enough to fool Harry though lying to this other bloke was painful and something he doesn't want to do ever. Harry nodded and was the first to enter.

____

The room had been lightened up by the 'Lumos Maxima' Harry cast and Harry stared at the room in wonder, deciding whether he liked this room better than the Hufflepuff one. The walls and roof were painted a cobalt blue, the floor was covered with wooden floorboards, there is a gigantic telescope in the middle of the room pointing directly at the roof and there is a large sky window on the roof directly above the telescope. To the right lay a canopy black and blue old vintage bed, with midnight blue drapes hanging from the sides like curtains.

____

"Harry, Are you okay in there?" Draco shouted from the bedroom door entrance. He didn't walk in after Harry as he was just a tiny bit scared. Harry adored his slight fear and wonders if he's scared of the dark. But a Slytherin who sleeps in the dungeons which is the darkest place in the castle mustn't be scared of the dark.

____

"Yes, Draco," Harry yelled back and turns around, watching as Draco entered through the doorway and stood there in shock, looking at their surroundings. "It's just Rowena's bedroom, I think." He smiled at the shocked Draco, wondering what size Draco's bedroom is. "Have you never seen a bedroom this size before, Draco? Don't you live in a manor?"

____

"Yeah, my bedrooms about this size," Draco says with a nod, and he looks back at Harry. Though he's stunned at what's around him, the real beauty is standing in front of him. Literally, nothing in the world compares to Harry Potter, the master of perfection as what he believes.

____

Now Harry looked at Draco in shock, wondering just how big Draco's manor is. Or whatever the manor is called. Probably Malfoy Manor. It sounded like a good name for a manor, if people really do name their manors. "Are you literally kidding me?"

____

Draco shook his head with a smile, knowing how surprised people are to find out about his home. Even Pansy and Blaise when they first came over was a little surprised. Blaise's house has two stories, but all the rooms are mainly downstairs, and they have a giant garden and a pool. Pansy's home is sort of like a castle, but not as big as Hogwarts. "Nope! But of course, I have much better furniture than this place."

____

Harry forgot there was still the rich side of Draco and how could he have forgotten? The bloke's practically wearing a dark grey cashmere sweater, a black trench coat and black jeans. "Right," He said through his teeth and walked towards the middle of the room where the telescope was. He swiped a finger over the telescope, but there wasn't any dust on it. A self-cleaning room based on ancient magic, if that's what it is.

____

On the back left side of the room stood five old wooden vintage bookshelves with familiar carvings displayed on the wood and filled with tons of books. In the middle of those five bookshelves was a round table with an old melted tall candle still on its rusted holder. On the left front side of the room are a simple wooden wardrobe, a wooden dresser, and a dressing table. On either side of the bed lay vintage bedside tables with a candle holder on each table. On either side of the bedside tables stood large rectangular enchanted windows, showing that it's raining outside.

____

Harry sneezed but didn't know why. It was a little cold in here actually and there wasn't any dust to be found. "This place truly is amazing!" he said as he explored the place but made sure not to touch anything that could be...cursed. But why would there be anything that's cursed in the bedroom?

____

Draco chuckled at Harry's sneeze, finding it so adorable. "Bless you, Harry," he says and watches as Harry picks up a few old books, quills, and even some really old jewellery. He ponders how much this all would be, but he wouldn't sell anything here. It's all history that should stay at its rightful place. "And It sure is."

____

"Thank you, Draco!" Harry said and turned to look at Draco from a bookshelf from the other side of the room. There were just so many books about everything. Why need these books when she had the library? But these books do look millennials old. "So, shall we check out the Gryffindor bedroom now?"

____

Draco rolled his eyes at the Gryffindor. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" he asked him flatly with a shake of his head. "Gryffindor this and Gryffindor that." The obvious answer to this is that any Gryffindor wants to see something new that's Gryffindor-related. It's the same with him but with Slytherin. He wants to check out the Slytherin bedroom too.

____

"What?" Harry askes and shrugs, smiling goofily at the blonde Slytherin. It's obvious, isn't it? Although he is part Slytherin but hasn't told anyone. Maybe that will come later. "It's what house I'm in."

____

"Well duh!" Draco said sarcastically and turned towards the door out of the bedroom but something black caught his eye. A black door. He didn't see that there at all. Out of curiosity, he walked over to the door like it was luring him to it. "Look at this!"

____

Harry turned to look at where Draco is and spotted the door. "It could be the bathroom," he suggested simply and walked over to Draco. "In the yellow bedroom had the same coloured door, but it was to the side of the wardrobe."

____

"How come I never saw it then?" Draco asked and got his wand out from his Trench Coat's pocket, ready to open the door that apparently leads to the bathroom. The thought of a bathroom from the 1800s intrigued him because he wondered what was different then to now. Were the toilets different? The sinks and mirrors? How about the showers? Were they any different?

____

"Maybe because you're a Slytherin?" Harry said a little densely which he meant to say. He knows he sounded a little dumb by saying that, but he didn't care. He'll just remember it later on in the day and wallow in self-pity because of it.

____

Draco raised an eyebrow at the sarcasm from Harry. Was it really necessary though? He didn't think so, and it seemed Harry didn't think so either by the look of shame on his face. He didn't need to feel that way though. "And you're a Gryffindor, makes no sense."

____

"I'm just playing with you, Draco," Harry says and just smiles at him. He has this sudden urge to reach up and thread his fingers through Draco's hair but pushed that sudden thought away. Seeing his smile, Draco gives him one of his own charming smiles back and secretly it melts Harry's heart.

____

"Should we try to open this door?" Draco asked him to distract himself from further staring at Harry. "Or do you think there's a giant raven inside waiting to gobble us up?" Merlin, Harry Potter's quite the sight to see. He swears that he's heard girls everywhere throughout Hogwarts fangirling over him, and even how they have crushes on him. Can they please stop though? Harry is his and his only! Those girls can go drown in a pit of basilisks somewhere so he can have Harry all to himself and to rant about to Pansy, Blaise, and Ivy.

____

Harry laughed at the very possible thought of a giant raven locked in here waiting for wandering lost students to find their way into its cave, or in this case, bathroom. "Let's open the magical door to wonderland then." He saw the confused look on Draco's face. "Never mind, it's a muggle term."

____

"Apertio!" said Draco. The door didn't budge. He sighed and tried opening the door by the doorknob and with a 'click' the door opened into darkness. He quickly pointed his wand up at the room's ceiling and whispered, "Lumos Maxima!" The room lit up into what looked like a very old Victorian styled bathroom.

____

"Told you so!" Harry said with a smirk. He knows most bedrooms have bathrooms or walk-in wardrobes attached to them. But he didn't think an 1800s room would have walk-in wardrobes or closets.

____

Draco ignored Harry and went inside the bathroom. The first thing he sees was himself looking back in a dusty mirror. He ran a hand through his hair and totally wasn't doing it to impress a certain green-eyed Gryffindor who's down here with him.

____

Harry smiled at Draco as he poked his head into the bathroom. "Having fun, are you?" he asked in a sweet tone of voice and was mesmerized at the Slytherin trying to look perfect. To him, Draco didn't need to look perfect as he already is the definition of perfect. He then noticed the bathroom and the bathroom looked like any other bathroom. It had a toilet, shower and sinks but very vintage looking and had a very nice, elegant mirror. He stared at Draco's reflection though.

____

Draco looked at Harry through the mirror and he couldn't decide on which Harry looks more attractive. Mirror Harry or real Harry but either way they're both stunningly beautiful. "Just... fixing my hair."

____

"Draco, you don't need to fix your hair," Harry tells him and just as he says that Draco stops with a hand in his hair, making some of his locks stick up and it. "You're... how do I say this... Draco, you're attractive and beautiful just the way you are." Oh god. That just didn't happen. He watched as a shade of reddish-pink appeared on the Slytherin's cheeks. "Let's just head to the next bedroom," he added quickly while feeling the heat rise up from his neck to his cheeks and what came with it was a tinge of red.

____

Draco looked below the mirror at the drawers and opened one, trying his best to hide the obvious blush on his face but nothing can stop Harry from noticing it. It was just there, on his cheeks, and Harry couldn't stop smiling at him. He just couldn't believe what he heard. Harry finds him... attractive and beautiful? This is like a dream to him.

____

"Let's just go," Harry says and grabbed Draco by the hand to pull him out of the bathroom. He wanted to see the Gryffindor room with Draco and then the Slytherin room. He doesn't mind what order it goes actually as long as he is with Draco.

____

"Haaarry!" Draco said with a prolonged 'a' but he let Harry take him out of the bathroom because he just loved the softness and warmth Harry's hands was over his own. It felt so right, so natural and like home. "I wanted to see if there were any hair products in the drawers or something."

____

"Your hair is beautiful as it is, Draco," Harry said without consciously knowing what he said. Actually, he knew exactly what he was saying but he let his heart and mind control him for that second. "No amount of hair gel will make it less or more stunning." He blushed and walked up to the dark blue door. Jesus... these compliments just come out of nowhere.

____

Draco's cheeks reddened again at the compliment and he licked his lips when seeing the pink flesh of Harry's lips. "Thanks, Harry," he says sweetly and combs his hair with his fingers. Merlin, how does he even do that? Complimenting so easily like he's just being nice to a pet.

____

"Don't mention it, Draco," Harry says and looks behind him at Draco combing his hair by using his fingers. Honestly, so the compliments were worth nothing to him even if he spoke with his heart and mind. He shook his head and looked ahead of him. "Let's see Godric's bedroom."

____

"Okay, Harry," Draco said with a blush still lingering on his cheeks, a loving smile, and a heart that's continuously hammering against his chest. He would never calm his racing heart at all, even if it's because of Harry who's making him feel this way.

____

The two boys exited the blue bedroom and stood in front of the red and gold door, Draco's heart had decreased in speed and Harry let go of his hand. They exchanged looks of curiosity and worry about the door and if they should do this and come to the conclusion that they should. Harry pointed his wand at the door and whispered, "Apertio!" The door didn't move or shake but there was a loud roar coming from the inside. Harry looked up at Draco with confusion and fear, hoping that whatever he heard wasn't what he thought he heard.

____

Draco quickly turned around and shouted, "Alohomora!" at the entrance to the tunnel, watching the wall slowly sink down into the ground. "We need to get out of here, Harry!" he said in a hurried tone. "Whatever that is I'm sure we woke it up."

____

Harry looked unsure. If it was a lion then how is it still alive when it's been trapped in a room for centuries and millennials? "It could have just been some sort of alarm to ward off bad people or something?"

____

"An alarm?!" Draco asked in disbelief and looked at Harry like he'd gone bonkers. Does Harry not know what a bloody lion sounds like at all? Surely, he should know. He's in the house of lions. "Harry, that sounds like a lion! A hungry vicious lion."

____

"I know!" Harry said but he still couldn't believe it. Unless it was a magical lion that eats off mouse and rats but how would rats even get inside? "But how could a meat-eating lion survive down here for centuries?"

____

Draco scarcely shrugged, grabbed hold of Harry's hand and quickly walked back towards the entrance tunnel with him. "I don't know, and I don't want to find out," he said as they walked down the tunnel to the exit. "I'd like to leave now; we can come back another time when the thing is asleep."

____

"Sure, I have to go meet with Hermione and Ron to go shopping anyways," Harry informs him and has sudden thoughts about the dress robe he could get to impress Draco. He also ponders what Ron would get too since he'll be buying his dress robes for him.

____

"Shopping?" Draco turned his head to look at Harry, a little curious about shopping and what he needs. Unless it's a Christmas present since it is coming up quite fast. Soon it will be over, and the new year will begin. "What for?"

____

"The Yule Ball," Harry says and he noticed the confused look on Draco's face. It was cute, the face the Slytherin made. "I know it's a bit early but earlier is better." They stepped back into the Transfiguration Courtyard, not interested in watching the wall rose behind them as they could hear the wall rising up. "So, do we meet under the willow tree tomorrow night?"

____

"Yes," said Draco, giving him a short nod. The question he's been wanting to ask about this flying night makes him wonder how they won't get caught by the Hogwarts caretaker or professors. "But how will we not get caught? I'm sure Filch will be wandering around somewhere."

____

Harry smirked at him, knowing the perfect plan for this. "Just leave that to me."

____

Draco raised an eyebrow, wondering what Harry has planned. Merlin, he nearly gets aroused whenever Harry's up to mischief or is just being so damned hot like he is right now. It's that smirk, and his mischievous smiles. "Alright. So, the Willow tree."

____

Harry took a step back, smiling a little. "I should get going," he says although he rather spends the day with Draco. Yule Ball shopping is important too. He can get whatever he wants before the stores run out of dress robes all because of the Yule Ball. "Thanks for today. I had a really great time." He bit his lip and looks down at the ground, thinking about the day where he kissed Draco when he was sleeping. "See you tomorrow night!"

____

"Okay, Harry," said Draco with a little sigh, and he watches Harry giving him a small wave and he waved back shyly. "See you then!" He kept his eyes on Harry who was leaving and he sighed, wishing he could spend more time with that amazing young man.

____

*****

____

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were down in Hogsmeade buying their outfits for the Yule Ball. They knew it was a little early to shop for the Yule Ball as it is weeks away but knew that shopping earlier was better than later because they will get the best outfits first. Harry has gotten out about 20 galleons for shopping for his robes, the last 10 were for Ron if he wanted something he liked.

____

Harry was scrolling through the racks of dress robes in Twilfit and Tattings and had 3 outfits that he liked but couldn't decide on which one to get. He looked over the racks, trying to find a familiar sight of red hair. "Ron?!" he yelled quietly. He didn't see Ron anywhere, but he saw a lady at the back of the store with blonde hair and a streak of black down her hair. She was dressed very elegantly in a long dark green dress with long sleeves. Her blonde hair and light blue eyes reminded him of someone at school.

____

Ron poked his head above a rack section with a yellow fedora on his head. He had a delighted smile on his face and was fiddling with the fedora, trying to find a place on his head that it suited him with. "What?" he yelled back.

____

Harry tried to hold back a laugh; his best mate looked quite stylish in a fedora and not even silly at all. It suited him very well. "Found anything you want?"

____

"Actually yes, a midnight blue dress robe with a fedora," said Ron with a nod and placed the yellow fedora back on its rack with the other fedoras and weird beanies and hats that look too expensive. He made sure to get a cheap robe that's not too cheap but not too expensive. It only cost about seven Galleons. "Can I have it?"

____

Harry nodded, he'd do and buy anything for his best mate. He didn't want Ron feeling left out or even look silly in front of everyone. "Of course, you can," he said in a bubbly tone. "That is why I'm buying you a new dress robe."

____

Ron walked his way up to Harry with a dress robe formally presented in its bag as well as a dark blue fedora. "I'm really thankful for what you're doing for me, Harry," he said in a quietish voice as he knew the woman on the other side of the store. He didn't really want anything to do with her even if she seems nice. "However, can I pay you back?"

____

Harry grabbed the second dress robe he had his eyes on and walked with Ron up to the checkout to pay for their outfits. "It's no problem, Ron," he whispered back and paid for his and Ron's dress robes. He didn't know why they were whispering all of a sudden. "What are friends for? By the way, why are we whispering?"

____

"That's Malfoy's mother at the back of the store," said Ron and put his dress robe and fedora into a bag the store owner gave them. He seemed a little uneasy even when saying the Malfoy name. "I just don't want her to overhear us. Who knows what she's like?"

____

Harry looked over to the woman who was browsing through some jewellery. So that's Draco's mother? That's the woman who gave birth to Draco, his friend and the most attractive guy in the entire universe to Harry. He suddenly straightened his back and gave Ron a smile. He didn't want to look unimpressive in front of Draco's mother. He wanted her to know he was a good friend to Draco.

____

Ron and Harry walked out of the dress robe shop and started making their way back up to the castle. "But seriously mate, how can I ever repay you?" Ron suddenly asked as they were out in the open sunshine and with other people who passed by them.

____

"I'll let you know when I want something," said Harry as he didn't want Ron to get him anything. He doesn't want Ron using his money to buy things for him, or to give him any favours like doing his homework and such.

____

Ron nodded slowly, hoping he could give Harry what he wanted in the future. He knows Harry wouldn't make him spend anything for him which was a giant relief. "Okay, mate," he said and patted him on the shoulder.

____

Hermione came out of a dress shop, looking all excited and carrying her own dress bag containing the dress she brought. "Hello!" she beamed and quickly hugged them both, her bags slipping down her arms to her wrists. "Got what you wanted?"

____

"Yes, we've got our dress robes," said Ron with a quick nod and a smile in the hug. He was the one who leaned out of the hug first, but Hermione came in between them and placed both arms around their necks.

____

"Let's then head back up to the castle and drop our outfits off in our room," Hermione said, excitedly, carrying a large bag with a light blue fluffy dress in it. The trio then walked back up to the castle, dropped their outfits off in their dormitories inside their trunks and headed to dinner. 

____

Hours later when Harry was falling asleep, he dreamt of Draco, and a scene which he and Draco are under the Willow tree and are leaning towards each other. Harry smiled in his sleep as he knew they were going to kiss and kiss they did. He watched himself and Draco, his hands in Draco's soft blonde hair, and Draco's hands cupping his face as they kiss in a loving manner. What a beautiful dream.

____

Down in the Slytherin dungeons in the boy's dormitory, Draco Malfoy was dreaming the same. The exact same actually. He dreams of Harry's hands exploring his hair, and his own hands holding Harry's beautiful face as he kisses him passionately. Over on the bed beside him, Blaise looked over at his best friend's bed and saw a smile on Draco's face. He just knew Draco was dreaming of Harry Potter. Draco always smiles in his sleep when dreaming of the green-eyes Gryffindor.

____

Suddenly, a large farting noise came from the other side of the room and Blaise snorted, glancing over at the direction of Crabbe's bedroom. Disgusting little twerp. If only he could sound record that and use it as a device to wake his dormmates up on the weekend just to be annoying. He sighs and gets back to reading about the newest fashion styles for men in Witch Weekly.

____

*****

____

As Harry woke up Sunday morning dragons filled his first thoughts. He rubbed his hands hard over his eyes as if scraping the visions of the claws, fire, and dragon scales from them. He had dreamed of dragons, snitches and Draco all muddled together. Dragons had never been one of the hundreds of possibilities he had imagined ever since his name was drawn from the goblet, he had been trying to imagine what the first challenge could be.

____

Sirius had an idea of what to use in the battle against the dragons, but Ron had disrupted the fire call. Harry was looking up at the canopy. He wanted to concentrate on how to survive the dragons. He needed Hermione. She would know where to start to find a way that would allow him to survive.

____

Harry waited until it was sunset on Sunday afternoon and then got ready to meet Draco after a long day of Wizards Chess with Ron and reading The Hunger Games book Hermione let him borrow. He grabbed his invisibility cloak, a practice snitch, and his broomstick and headed down to the Willow tree. Before he could exit the common room, Hermione gave him a curious look.

____

"Where are you going, Harry?" Hermione asked him as she knew it was a little late and Harry looked like he was going out to play Quidditch. He had his broom and everything. She was sitting on one of the maroon armchairs with 'The Maze Runner' in her hands.

____

"Meeting someone, can't talk now," Harry said quickly and walked over to the portrait. "See you in the morning!" He then pulled his invisibility cloak on over himself and made his way down to the Herbology area. He stepped out into the chilly November night and made his way past the three greenhouses and to the Willow tree. He pushed his way through the elongated raining branches of the tree and came face to face with Draco. Except, Draco looked horrified. Harry knew what this was about. He chuckled at the frightened Slytherin and removed the cloak from himself.

____

Draco's heart fluttered as he saw Harry take off the cloak. Merlin, the Gryffindor scared him. But the cloak... they're really rare things to have. "Harry?!" He looked Harry up and down in surprise, blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "What- you have an invisibility cloak?"

____

Harry nodded at him, smiling at the surprised look on Draco's face. It was cute. "It was a gift at Christmas in the first year," He said and looked to the ground a little sadly. He pictured what it would be like to have his mom and dad in his life and grew up with them by his side. "It was my fathers."

____

Draco nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. He and so many people felt sad that Harry doesn't have his parents to watch him grow up and have friends over. "I'm sure your father was an amazing man, Harry," he says with honesty. "Same goes with your mother. I bet she was sweet just like you."

____

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling and rubbing his arms as he felt that all so familiar warmth rise up from his neck to his face, and with it came a noticeable blush. "I'm sure mom and dad were and thank you."

____

"The invisibility cloak explains a lot too," said Draco and smiles at Harry's rosy cheeks. So attractive... "No wonder you've been never been caught wandering around the castle at night. Except for the time in the first year... Wait... The barmy shrieking shacks! You little... That snowball hurt you know!"

____

Harry chuckled at the Slytherin, gave him a small playful shove and an innocent smile. "Sorry about that," he said in a soft tone. "I've forgotten about that day, but you deserved it for following us around like you did."

____

"I guess I did deserve it," Draco said and lowered his gaze a little, so he was looking at Harry's lips. Merlin... He ought to stop doing that. Then he corrected himself with a little head tilt. "To some extent."

____

Harry folded his invisibility cloak up and placed it beside the willow tree. He hoped Professor Sprout won't find it... Maybe he should stuff it in his pocket. No, it might fall out. He stood back up and looked at Draco. "Anyway, let's fly before someone see's us."

____

Draco nodded and grabbed his Nimbus 2001 which was leaning against the trunk of the tree. He wondered what they're going to do in the air for however long they will be out for. "So, are we just going to fly around or is there some game we could play in the air, besides Quidditch, of course."

____

Harry grabbed the practice snitch out of his pocket and showed it to him. "I know it would be better to use a practice snitch," he said and threw the practice snitch at Draco, who caught it easily with two hands. "Don't want to be out all night trying to catch a real one."

____

"Is that your own?" Draco asks and studies the practice snitch in his hands, seeing as it's just an inch or two larger than the real ones are. He gave it a little tap with his fingers, and the wings popped out and fluttered a little.

____

Harry nods and finds it amusing watching Draco play with the snitch like that. He doesn't know why just the tiniest gesture from Draco is mesmerizing. It's Draco who's mesmerizing all along. "I ordered it by owl the other day."

____

"You really planned ahead," said Draco and smiles at the golden ball who fluttered its wings again. He throws it up in the air and catches it with his other hand. "Do you miss flying that much?"

____

"Flying, yes," said Harry with a nod. Draco's such a distraction to him that he could just stare at him all day in a loving way and hopefully not be called a weirdo. "I can't do it that much over the holidays though. Muggles. If I go to the Weasleys I can fly there, but it's mostly the second or last week of summer so...."

____

"There are wizard areas all over England with Quidditch pitches," said Draco and threw the practice snitch back to Harry, which then tucked its wings back inside as Harry caught it. "Why don't you just go to the closest one to fly in the summer?"

____

Harry laughed at the thought of the Dursleys driving him anywhere, let alone to go on holiday to play Quidditch. He'd probably get punished for even asking and suggesting going out to play Quidditch. "That would be difficult considering I'm usually locked in my room."

____

Draco looked up at him, a little curious but also quite concerned for Harry. "Who locks you in your room?" he asks while thinking of his cousin and how she gets locked in her room during the holidays at her manor. Its why he has tried staying over at her place as much as he can because it means she doesn't get locked in her room as he's over. But that was until he found out that she gets abused an hour after he leaves back to Malfoy manor and it's a rare occurrence for her to even come over too.

____

"Oh, erm, my uncle," said Harry, his head was looking down as his eyes looked up at Draco. He cursed to himself, he hadn't intended to tell Draco that or even about the punishment he'd get. "Forget I said anything."

____

Draco nodded and saw the familiar emptiness in Harry's eyes. He wasn't going to forget anything Harry's told him though because everything worries him. He wants to know what goes through that beautiful mind of Harry's. "Okay, Harry," he said while trying not to sound worried and mounted his Nimbus 2001. "The last one to the Quidditch Pitch is a rotten Flobberworm!"

____

Harry mounted his Firebolt easily with a challenging smile and he and kicked off shouting, "Not if I get there first!" and soared straight towards the Quidditch Pitch in the distance. He felt the familiar weightlessness thrill taking control of him. Nothing could beat flying. Draco scowled at the cold, sped off on his broom and raced Harry to the Quidditch Pitch.

____

Harry looked down and saw Draco close behind him. He quickly twisted into a spiralling barrel roll and pushed the Firebolt to its maximum speed towards the Quidditch Pitch, ignoring the icy wind on his cheeks. He stopped fast as he neared the Quidditch Pitch and watched as Draco raced past him. When Draco had doubled back and hovered next to him, Harry pulled the snitch out of his pocket, "Ready?" Draco nodded and Harry murmured "Lumos," the snitch glowed gold and flew into the air.

____

Harry forgot about everything except chasing the snitch. He and Draco both fought to catch the elusive winged sphere. It was easier to spot the golden light against the dark of the Pitch but not easier to catch. They flew in a tight pattern, each trying twisting moves to lose the other. It was a far different game playing one on one with Draco. When they competed together there were always the bludgers and other players to look out for. Without those distractions, they both were able to push themselves to do more and more daring tricks. They were challenging each other to keep up.

____

Skimming around the Quidditch Pitch Harry stretched forward, his fingertips reaching for the snitch when he felt Draco shove him aside. The Firebolt wobbled and he fought to keep from crashing into one of the house towers. Draco gave a shout of triumph and grabbed the snitch. Harry slowed down and watched as Draco held up the snitch triumphantly. He pulled up and waited for Draco to come back around.

____

"You call that fair?" Harry asked, glaring at Draco. Though he couldn't stay pissed at Draco for long as he notices that there are these beautiful stars in those silver eyes that glimmer so brightly which makes his heartbeat like a mini drum. He could have gotten knocked out and broken a few bones only minutes ago if he didn't take that sharp cut upwards. "I almost crashed into one of the Hufflepuff towers."

____

"Yeah, and you almost got the snitch, but I got it instead," Draco said proudly with his chest thrust out, holding the snitch up with a smirk. "We never said what we were playing for anyway."

____

Harry smiled as he recognized that the real Draco was back. The challenging Draco who he loves versing in Quidditch. "How about the winner gets the snitch until the next game," he suggested. "And next game, I'll be winning it back."

____

"I never knew there would be a next game and sure good luck with that!" Draco said and flew closer to Harry. He nudged him on the arm with his elbow, "Assuming you don't meet a terrible death in the Triwizard Tournament."

____

"Gee, thanks," Harry said and looked down, frowning at the word 'death'. Ever since staying at the Dursleys, that's all he has been thinking of. But now, he has Draco. And oh, how Draco makes him feel a lot better every now and then. Just one smile or a wink would make him smile. He looked up at the night sky, at the shimmering stars. He didn't need to do a Tempus to know that they had already stayed out too late. "It's late, we'd better head in...." Draco nodded.

____

They didn't say another word to each other until they were back at the Willow tree, they dismounted their brooms. Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak, linked arms with Draco and pulled the cloak over himself and Draco. He smiled at Draco's surprised expression, noticing a slightly pink tinge to his cheeks, "I can walk you to the dungeons if you want?"

____

Draco returned the smile and felt a little closer to Harry just because their arms were linked. It just made him almost squeal in an UnMalfoyish way that Harry's the one who actually linked arms with him. Harry just makes him feel so special. "Thanks, I'd like that."

____

Harry nodded, walked arm in arm with Draco under the invisibility cloak. He made sure they couldn't be seen like if the cloak slipped up and showed one of their feet and made their way to the Dungeons. Before they were even halfway to the dungeons, Draco stopped and faced the library. "Actually, could we stop in the library's secret place? I'd like to store my broom there."

____

"Sure thing, Draco," Harry said with a nod and walked towards the library with Draco. They entered through the library, walked past the many bookshelves, took a left in the middle of the library to come to the familiar vertical bookshelves with the old wooden bookshelf on the very end of the aisle. Harry took a peek around the library, seeing nobody except Draco and pulled the trigger for the bookshelf to open. They walked into the tunnel, the familiar torches lighting up the path towards the door at the end. They emerged into the secret room and took off the invisibility cloak, Harry placed it on the couch's back.

____

Draco pointed his wand at the fireplace and immediately warmth started filling the space as the flames flared into life. He leaned his Nimbus 2001 on the side of the architecture bookshelf and sat down on one of the armchairs.

____

"Oh, I forgot," Harry suddenly said and walked over to the fire and started warming his frozen hands. "Thanks, that was a good match." He would actually do it again if he could. It was exciting, nerving, and challenging all in one.

____

Draco hesitated and then nodded, "It was different, wasn't it?" he asked and had the sudden urge to be close to Harry again. But he let that thought slip and he contained the urge in a mental bottle which he stores in his mind. "Going one on one."

____

Harry smiled, glad that Draco had sensed it too. "No one watching," he said and when his hands were warmed up enough, he walked to the couch and joined Draco. Secretly, it was exactly what Draco wanted. "No distractions."

____

"No distractions other than the freezing cold and complete darkness," said Draco and brings his legs up onto the couch, facing a little towards Harry. He rests his elbow on the back of the couch and leans his hand on his cheek as he looked at Harry.

____

Harry chuckled at the Slytherin and how utterly right he is. "Well, if you are going to be particular about things..." He smiled, subconsciously moved a little closer to Draco and hesitated. "Anyway, want me to walk you to the dungeons now?"

____

Draco nodded and smiled at him. It wasn't exactly spooky during the night at Hogwarts, but you could easily get spooked. Sir headless Nick could pop up anywhere and scare you, same with the Bloody Baren. "Sure, and thank you, Harry."

____

Harry returned the smile and grabbed his invisibility cloak, covering himself and Draco with it and walked out of the secret place in the library to the dungeons. It was a nice short walk as they enjoyed nothing else but each other's company. As they entered through to the dungeons, they heard a meow. They looked down and saw Ms Norris staring wide-eyed back up at them. They both exchanged worried looks but proceed to the entrance to the Slytherin dungeons, even if Ms Norris was following them.

____

"Well, this is me," Draco said and looked at the blank wall where the Slytherin common room was behind. He then looked back at Harry. "Um... You mind?" He asked softly, gave an apologetic look to Harry and pointed his head at the wall.

____

"Oh!" Harry looked at the familiar wall that he went through back in the second year. He understands that Draco still wants the password to be a secret. "Sorry, not at all!" Before leaving, he quickly gave Draco a hug and left with a big smile on his face. It's still quite rare for him to smile.

____

Draco melted into the hug before Harry took off and was left alone. It was no fake hug nor an accidental hug. It was a real hug. A kind, squishy, comfortable hug. He sighed with a smile, said the password, and entered into the Slytherin common room.

____

"Good Afternoon," said a tired female voice. Draco looked over to one of the Slytherin common room chairs and saw Ivy, his cousin. How long exactly has she been up for? And has she waited for him all this time?

____

Ivy sighed at him, waiting to get a 'Hello, Ivy' but nothing came out of her cousins' mouth. Rude little ferret. She still couldn't get the twins prank on her cousin out of her head. "Hello to you too, Draco and where've you been at this late of an hour?"

____

Draco bit his lip, trying to come up with a new excuse. Seems like he's running out of them now. Ivy rolled her eyes; she knew that look. "You were with Harry, weren't you?" Draco nodded and she smiled knowingly. "So, what were you doing with him?" she asked, intrigued at the thought of what the two oblivious lovebirds together. "Snogging? Asking him out? Sha-"

____

"-Flying, Ivy," Draco said, interrupting her before she could say something else. Merlin, she had a funny mind at times. "We were flying and playing a small round of 'catch the Snitch in the dark'. Harry Lumosed the snitch so we could easily see it flying around."

____

Ivy nodded at him. But why would they be out during the night playing Quidditch thus late? It's nearly ten-thirty and way past curfew. Even for her. "So, you're heading to bed now?"

____

"Yes, I was heading to my dormitory before I was interrupted by you," Draco said, and Ivy smirked at him. He still wanted to know why she's up late and not in bed. "By the way, why are you up so late? You couldn't have wanted to wait until I got back, did you?"

____

"Couldn't sleep," Ivy said and let out a yawn which she covered with her hand. "A girl that you don't know. Millie Rickson. She was having dreams about her boyfriend again. She started moaning and making kissing noises in her sleep, so I had to get out."

____

"Merlin's Beard!" Draco said in complete disgust and pinched the top of his nose in frustration. "Thanks' a lot, Ivy. I won't be able to sleep tonight unless you obliviate me from the last two minutes that we talked."

____

Ivy laughed silently, and another yawn had escaped her mouth. "Anyway," she says tiredly, and then her smirk comes back. "I can't wait until you tell me about you and Harry's sex life. The topic's the hottest between Pansy, Blaise, and I."

____

Draco just shook his head and didn't believe her at all. He pointed a finger at her and said, "No!" Then he stormed out of the common room towards his dormitory. That girl can be a mental pain at times and that time is now.

____

Ivy grinned mischievously and whispered to herself, "Oh, but you will."

____

*******************************************************************

____

The Yule Ball is finally happening!

____

But when exactly?

____

Harry used his own money to save his best mate from looking dreadful at the Yule Ball even throughout his depression, how sweet! Would you do that for your best friend?

____


	9. A day full of Dragons

The first thought Harry had in mind was food. If he was going to try to survive today, he couldn't do it on an empty stomach even though he knew he was going to puke out everything he's consumed. Harry's tummy rumbled, agreeing that he needed food, so he put his glasses on, got dressed and headed down to the Great Hall for lunch.

He ignored all the stares and whispers coming from the students, he couldn't care less. Harry just walked on over to an empty seat on the Gryffindor table, completely ignoring the two girls who got up and moved away as he sat down. He restlessly ignored Dumbledore's words as to how the task will begin soon and just stared at the table where the food normally was until it was summoned.

Harry tipped some pumpkin juice into a goblet and took small sips. Maybe just solid foods made him vomit? He doesn't know but he will try everything he can. He heard someone whispering about him, he couldn't quite hear if it were good or bad gossip but either way, he felt depressed. Harry tried to ignore the whispers and kept drinking his pumpkin juice.

Draco looked up at the Gryffindor table and saw Granger bending over and speaking into Harry's ear. Harry just didn't seem to notice her. He stared down at his plate and did not eat. From where Draco stood looked almost white on the skin of the Gryffindor. Draco wished he knew what was going on with Harry and the Weasel. First, they were speaking, then they weren't and now they were.

Draco was slowly sipping his Rose tea and taking small bites from his toast with strawberry jam. He wondered what was going through Harry's head at the time. Merlin knows how stressed and anxious Harry would be. He knew if he was put in the Tri-wizard Tournament he'd try everything he could to get out of it, even if it meant injuring himself.

Ivy and Pansy walked through the Great Hall entrance, arm in arm, and sat next to Draco. "Hi, Dray," they chorused together. They stared at his red chapped face and giggled.

Draco jumped a little in his seat as the girls startled him. He glared at his so-called friends for nearly making him spill his tea. "Hey, don't do that!" he spat at them a little silently as he didn't want to draw attention to himself. "You guys will be the death of me someday."

Both girls giggled again. They loved annoying the hell out of Draco, it's something they were born to do and it's what they cherish doing. "We love you too," they chorused just like identical twins would.

Draco crossed his arms over each other on the table and lay his head down on his arms. Why did he even come down to breakfast in the first place? That's right, he came down only for Harry. He wanted to wish him luck in the task, but it seems he missed out on the opportunity just like how he's been trying to ask Harry out for the entire year. "I love you guys too."

"What was that?" Ivy asked with a smile and leaning a little closer to him with a hand cupping her ear. She was just being an idiot, like she always tries to be to put a smile on her cousin's face. Draco laid his chin on his hands and took a sip from his Rose tea while telling her that there's nothing to talk about.

Ivy remembered the talk they had a night ago and chuckled. Then she remembered his face and how red it is. "By the way, your face is very red," she told him earnestly. "You should read chapter 342 of your charms book, Dray." She reached into her robe pocket and took out her round makeup mirror, opening it up so the mirror faced Draco.

Draco glared at the giggling girls and stared at his reflection in shock. His face indeed looked red, so he reached inside his bag for his charms book. He found the page and sighed at it, "Skin softening charms?"

Ivy nodded at him. She wondered how long his face had been that red for. She doesn't remember the redness on his face last night when he came into the common room late from a flying date. "Want me to cast it for you?" she didn't need approval from Draco anyway as she grabbed her wand out, pointed it at her cousin's face and mumbled an unintelligible spell. Draco felt his cheeks start to soften up and cool down.

"Do you think Potter will make it out of the Tournament alive?" Pansy suddenly asked, grabbing a waffle, and spreading maple syrup on it. She didn't sound worried at all for Harry's life and how it could be at sake, but deep down she was because she knew how much Draco loved him. Any friend of Draco's will immediately be her friend, if they treat Draco right and Harry does.

Ivy put her wand back away and frowned, she didn't want anybody to die in the Tournament. Hearing that just made her worried to her core. What if something were to happen to Harry? How would that affect everyone, including Draco?

Draco shrugged, not knowing if or How Harry can complete the task alive. But he believed in Harry and whatever brave but obnoxiously dumb plan he comes up with. He took another bite from his toast, eating away his concern for Harry. "I'm not quite sure, but I hope he makes it out alive."

"Yeah," Ivy said with a short nod in agreement. She hoped to Merlin, God, Zeus, Poseidon, Montezuma, and whatever other gods out there that the muggles believe in that Harry will be brave and will make it through the tasks.

Pansy cleared her throat, feeling a little sick at the thought of losing Harry for good. No more 'Golden Boy' or 'Chosen One'. " Let us not talk about death right now please?" she asked of them. "So, Dray? Have you asked him out yet?"

Ivy looked up at her cousin, wondering if he had managed to ask Harry out or not. He's had so many chances that she has heard of and just hoped Draco used up one of those chances. You can't just wait around to ask out your crush. You need to ask them as soon as possible.

Draco shook his head, finishing off his toast and downing the last of his tea. "No, sorry," he said with just a pinch of regret and bit his tongue as he looked Harry's way. The Gryffindor was sitting with his two friends Granger and Weasley and talking about who knows what. "I've been trying but every time I go near him, I get these nervous butterflies in my stomach. It makes it harder to do."

Ivy and Pansy sighed dreamily at what Draco admitted to them. They've heard him say it thousands of times, but it just gets stronger every time he mentions it. Pansy turned to look at Ivy with a knowing smile. "Aww. Did you hear that twin?"

"Hear what?" Ivy asked her but had the direct answer in her head. She loved hearing about the butterflies inside her cousin that make him go wild for Harry, and how nervous he gets. "That my beloved cousin gets butterflies every time he's near Harry?"

Pansy nodded and poked Draco's arm repeatedly, grinning as she sees the annoyance in his eyes. Her work is nearly done. "Exactly!" she then beamed. "Someone has the crushies on a certain Gryffindor!"

Draco rolled his eyes at them, now wanting to get away from them. That's just the thing. How can he get rid of these girls without them following him or somehow finding out where he is? "Yeah, you know because I told you like... I'm not sure, a year or two ago?"

Ivy smirked and started counting her fingers as she told them how many times Draco has said this and that. "You also told us how amazing Harry is, how you want to snog him every morning, how you want to run your fingers through his beautiful black hair, how you want to claim his as yours. Oh, I could just go on and on!"

Pansy smirked also, she loved teasing her best friend about his crush. "Yes, I remember Dray saying exactly that in his second year. He said he nearly came out to Crabbe and Goyle when they were talking about who the heir of Slytherin was too!"

"I- I did not say any of that!" Draco spat with a single stutter, not liking how right they were. He remembers saying something close to what they were saying. He hated how others can be right when talking to him. Why can't he be right for once?

"Oh yes, you di-id!" Pansy said sassily and clasped her hands together in front of her on the table. She can see it in Draco's eyes at how he hates being corrected. Ha-Ha! She loves being right, especially with Ivy. It's Girl Power.

"Did not!" Draco snapped quietly at his friend from across the table. God, he hated her at times.

"Did so!" Pansy said coolly while checking out her nails. This was just too easy for her. Of course, she had to have Ivy on her side to win a few arguments. Draco and Pansy glared at each other angrily, but in a minute's time they broke out laughing.

Draco remembered back in the second year when he, Crabbe and Goyle were talking about the heir of Slytherin and somehow Harry was mentioned in the conversation. "Yeah, you're right," he finally admits with a sigh, rubbing at his face. "I did nearly come out to them. It was hard lying to them as well as faking hatred when they mentioned Harry. It was something I've hated myself doing."

"Who do you think will win the first tournament?" Pansy then asked to change the topic to something a little more intriguing. But it was still based off the Twi-Wizard tournament.

Ivy shrugged her shoulders, not exactly knowing who will win this big event or not. But she always chooses the girl contestants over the boy ones. "My money is on Fleur."

Pansy gave Ivy a knowing smile, knowing a little to why Ivy would choose Fleur over the other contestants. The first reason is that she's a girl and has really good looks. "Is it because you find her...hot?"

Ivy smiled dreamily. She definitely thought Fleur was hot, who doesn't? She's a real beauty that one but same are all the other girls. Fleur's her favourite though even if she hasn't had the fortune of getting the girl in bed with her. She knows she's straight though. Sometimes life isn't fair. "Yeah, that's true. But you both know who I have my eyes on."

Pansy and Draco nodded, knowing who Ivy meant with the tip of their tongues. They could even shout it out to the entire Great Hall but didn't want to do such a terrible thing and humiliate her. "Lavender Brown," they said. Ivy nodded with a faint blush to her pale cheeks.

"Anyway, back to the subject on who'll win," Pansy said, clasping her hands together with a challenging smile on her face like she's about to place a bet. Knowing her, that's definitely most likely to happen. "I think Gregory will win."

"I believe Krum will win; he's definitely got the guts of a champion," Draco said, smiling at the pile of extra toast beside him as green eyes popped into his head. Those magnificent and bright green eyes he fell in love with as well as those long black eyelashes, beautiful skin, and handsome face. "Or Harry, I have my faith in him."

Ivy half-smiled at the loving look Draco had on his face. She knew he was thinking about a special Gryffindor. In fact, he is always thinking about Harry Potter. The boy never leaves his mind. "Alright, five galleons for the contestant who'll win."

Draco and Pansy nodded. "Deal!" they chorused and held out their hands for a handshake. The three accepted the handshake quickly and got back to eating their breakfast.

Draco couldn't help but think how long he would last if he were the one to face a dragon in place of Harry. He had been livid when he heard Harry's name announced from the goblet. When Draco was younger, he wanted the opportunity to be a Triwizard Champion in order to prove to his father that he is deserving of the Malfoy name. Yet he knew the truth was that last year he was frightened by the hippogriffs and he could not imagine walking with a dragon in a cage.

McGonagall had come over to the Gryffindor table and was chatting with Harry. He stood up and walked away with her as if each day there were dragons battling. Draco felt a surge of anger at McGonagall. Did she really think Harry's best way to brace himself was to sit through all of his morning classes and then spend lunch in the Great Hall packed with cat-calling students? Draco acknowledged much of the disdain coming from the Slytherin table.

Cedric was excused from classes. Draco had seen the Hufflepuff walking around the lake with Professor Sprout earlier last week. Cedric looked like the art of a champion Triwizard. And now Draco realized he had more than enough looks for him. Until this year he had never met the Hufflepuff other than playing Quidditch against him.

Draco eyed Harry's straight back leaving the room. Draco stood up from the table and walked away ignoring the gap-jawed expressions of the Slytherins at the table. He had been watching Harry for three years; he knew that the idiot didn't stop until he couldn't go on anymore. Hopefully, the dragon handlers knew what they were doing.

Harry left the Great Hall after breakfast with McGonagall, Cedric stood up from the Hufflepuff table and left the Hall with them, "Professor, can I talk to Harry, please?" Harry looked up at his professor with a smile, hopefully getting a little bit of freedom to talk with Cedric before the task.

Professor McGonagall sternly looked at Harry, then the Hufflepuff and back Harry. "Alright, you have a couple of hours," she said with a quick nod. "Mr Potter, you are required to meet me at the tents by 9:20," she said, eyeing Harry's red face curiously as she strolled off.

"What's up?" Harry asked curiously as he watched McGonagall walk towards the entrance Hall. He suddenly felt free, but he sadly wasn't free from competing in the damn Tournament. He wasn't at all excited for the tournament.

"Uhm, just thought that you should... Well, some people might find it suspicious if they noticed two students coming into breakfast, both with bad cases of windburn," Cedric said who looked quite embarrassed and a flush rose up from his neck to his cheeks. "Prefects or teachers might suspect that they were out flying at night, which would get both students in trouble and raise some interesting questions."

Harry groaned as he had noticed that Draco's face was chapped and red at breakfast which was highly amusing to see. He just hadn't thought about his own face. "Oh, erm, we just wanted to relax a little..."

"Page 342 of your Charms book, Harry," Cedric said with a smile and he slapped Harry on his shoulder as he walked away. Harry pulled out his Charms book. He found the page and laughed. Skin softening charms. He made his way back up to the Gryffindor common room. There, he found Hermione.

"Hello, Harry!" Hermione said, putting down a book about jinxes and placing it on the coffee table to her side. She noticed Harry's red chapped skin and smiled. It must have been because of last night. She hoped there was some kissing involved between Harry and Malfoy. "Were you out with Malfoy last night?"

"Hey, 'Mione," Harry said with a small smile and his face felt a little warm at the mention of Draco's name. He wished he could see Draco again and talk to him. It wouldn't be fair if only Hermione and Ron knew of the Dragons and he didn't. "Yes, we went flying."

"What!" Hermione snapped at him. She couldn't believe this, and him. Doesn't he know that flying is off-limits since the Tournament has been put in place? "Harry, you know it's n-"

"I know," Harry said with a slight roll of his eyes and looked to the floor so she couldn't see it. "I know it's not allowed but it was dark out and nobody would have been able to see us."

Hermione sighed and shook her head, not knowing how Harry has so much luck even in the most difficult of times. She half-smiled at her best friend, got out her wand, pointed it at his face and cast the skin-softening spell. "So, know what you're going to do in the task today?"

"Nope," Harry said truthfully and shook his head, smiling sadly at her. He just knows he's going to die out there today, everyone knows it actually. He's going to have to say goodbye to Ron and Hermione now before he gets eaten or burnt alive. About Draco, that's just going to be hard. Maybe he'll give him a goodbye kiss in front of everyone.

Hermione groaned and rubbed her face with her hands in complete disbelief and concern. "Harry!" she whispered in a bitter voice. "The task is in a couple of hours; do you know how you're going to distract the dragon?"

"No," said Harry and he rubbed at his neck. He doesn't know how he will make it out alive from this task. What he really needed was luck if he were to survive the dragons today.

Hermione leaned back in her chair and sighed. How was her best friend going to make it through today without badly injuring himself or...dying? How was she going to survive the worry that's etched onto her face from the knowledge that her best friend might not make it through today? However, just like her brain had a full kick on coffee, she had an idea. "Well, we could use a summoning spell," she suggested. "You could summon the sword of Gryffindor or something that can be useful."

"Actually, that is a smart idea!" Harry said and thought of a light bulb appearing over her best friends' head. It seemed real, the light bulb. She always comes up with the best and brightest ideas whenever it's needed.

"Anyway, practice on that book," Hermione said at once and a little strictly, pointing to the book she put down a short while ago. She knew where she was up to, so even if the book fell open onto the floor it would be fine.

"Okay, but how exactly do I summon it?" Harry raised his eyebrows as he asked her. He really didn't have a clue how to summon something. He needed the extra help and was glad he had Hermione as a friend.

"Honestly, Harry! "Hermione said with utter disbelief that her friend doesn't remember a simple spell and bewilderment as Harry doesn't listen to their Charms classes. "Do you not pay attention in class or not?"

"I pay attention," Harry said but he even sounded unsure of himself. He's usually too depressed to even listen to the professors during class or daydreaming about Draco and dream dates he could go on with him. Its' usually the daydreaming and the depressing thoughts muddled together.

Hermione stared at Harry for a moment, really stared at him and wondered how he knew of most spells the teachers ask but not of this simple spell. She just couldn't believe this at all. "Just say 'Accio', then whatever you are thinking of that you need."

Harry cleared his throat and pointed his wand at the book on the table in front of him. Here goes nothing. "Accio book!" The book didn't even move from its position on the table. It just laid there, unmoving.

"It's okay, nobody gets it on their first try," Hermione assured her friend with an encouraging smile. Although whenever she tries something for the first time, she always gets it right. It's because she always reads about it first in a book and makes sure she knows the hand gestures of the spell and how to say it correctly. "Try again."

"Accio book!" Harry said with a little force and narrowed his eyes at the sight of the book. Still, the book didn't teleport to his hands. It did move a little towards the end of the table but that's it.

"Try to clear your mind when you say the spell, Harry," Hermione said slowly and she sounded quite calm and not firm. She was calm. How was Harry supposed to get this right before the task? It was even impossible to think that Harry would make it out alive. "Oh, and try thinking of something you like, Harry."

Harry closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but all the depressing thoughts were clogging his mind. He thought about everything he liked. Quidditch, Treacle Tarts and Draco. Then he opened his eyes, pointed his wand at the book and said, "Accio Book!" The book flew right into his hands, and he gripped onto it with ease.

"Good job, Harry!" Hermione beamed and cheered for her friend. She just hoped Harry will remember this spell and not forget it when the time comes to use it. "Make sure to practice that until the task, won't you?"

"Will do, Hermione," Harry said and nodded firmly as a promise. "Thank you for helping me." He always wondered what he would do without Hermione by his side. Knowing himself, he'd probably have failed all of his subjects if it weren't for meeting her.

"It's no problem, Harry," Hermione said with a smile and she pointed to her book then at herself. She just wanted her book back so she can get back into reading 'The Maze Runner'. "May I please have my book back?"

Harry looked down at the book in his hands which was titles 'The Maze Runner' and nodded. "Sure," he said as he handed Hermione her book. "Anyway... I'm going to head down to the task now. Don't want to be late." He then waved goodbye to her as he made his way down to the lake for some peace and quiet before the awful event that he was sure to leave him dead.

Harry just sat there in silence, listening to the bird's chirp, watching the lake for any signs of the giant squid, and watching the ripples run up the shore a little. He sat there, even when the task was being set up, waiting until he could start and get the task over and done with, hopefully, without getting killed.

"If I do die, I won't have to deal with Moldy Voldy anymore," Harry told himself, sighing at the realization that he was talking to himself. "Someone with much more knowledge than me can deal with him. Plus, I won't have to deal with my depressing life and the punishments I get from the Dursleys."

Harry saw a pebble a few meters away from him. Why not give it a go? Hermione had told him to keep practising. "Accio Pebble!" he said, but it didn't move. He frowned but tried again. "Accio Pebble!" he said again, the Pebble flew right into his hand. Harry kept practising with rocks, pebbles, butterflies, and many other Earthly items until he heard his name being called.

"Mr Potter?" called Professor McGonagall, standing a few meters away from him. She had no idea how her student will survive this. "The task is about to begin." Harry looked up at Professor McGonagall and nodded. He then got up off the ground and started walking off in the direction of the big tents with his professor by his side.

*****

The First Task

As Draco got down to the stands with Ivy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy, he couldn't help but worry for Harry. By the sounds coming from the stands, he heard roaring dragons. He shook the worry off his face and put on his Malfoy Mask, hiding his real emotions from plain sight. He climbed the stands and sat in the middle of Victor and Harry's side. Draco could clearly see a sea of black and yellow from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws where he sat, even some of the Slytherins were wearing yellow but most of them wore black robes.

Draco watched the tents where the contestants all were, probably talking about how to complete the task. That's where he saw the dragons in their cages. He spotted the Hungarian Horntail first. It was the angriest beast of them all. It was smacking its tail against the cage, trying to break down the walls.

"What's taking so long!" Pansy whined as she looked down into the ring with a bored expression. She wanted to see some actual dragon bashing and hair on fire. She just doesn't want her hair to be on fire otherwise she'll sue these dragon keepers.

Blaise rolled his eyes at his friend, hating how she can act like a baby at times. "Quit your whining, Pansy," he drawled at her. "By the look on Dumbledore's face, the tournament is about to start."

Bagman held his wand to his throat and mumbled something, and then he spoke in a loud voice. "Welcome all to the first task, our contestants will be trying to grab the golden egg from the dragon's nest," he told them all. "It's a tricky job to do, having to distract a dragon for a short period of time. Let's see how lucky our contestants are with these dragons. Let the tournament begin!"

Draco watched as the Hufflepuff contestant, Cedric Diggory, walked out of the tent and into the arena. The Hufflepuff was tall but compared to the arena, he looked like he could easily be squashed by a fly. As soon as the bell rang, Cedric looked around his surroundings, seeing a big rock and transforming it into a puppy.

That was quite impressive, Draco had to admit as he watched the Dragon fire its flames at the dog. Cedric kept to the sides, slowly making his way over to the egg. Before he had the chance to grab the egg, the Dragon glanced over at Cedric and shot its fire breath at him.

Draco held his breath, scared to see what could happen. Cedric ducked in time, and when the Dragon wasn't looking, he quickly grabbed the egg and jumped back down under the rock to dodge more flames. Draco sighed in relief, glad to see Cedric wasn't burnt to a crisp.

Draco watched as Cedric ran for the tents, the dragon keepers putting up a shield, so Cedric got out uninjured. Draco saw that Cedric had smoke coming off him, only a little so it wasn't too damaging.

"Oh, my goodness!" Pansy said with a wide excited grin, pointing to the doorway of the tent. Fleur was finally out to play with the Dragons, but she was confused at the doll in the French girls' arms. Was it to throw at the dragon and give it a hug? Not likely.

Draco looked over to where Pansy was staring and saw Fleur come out of the tent. He didn't really pay any attention to her and what she was doing. The last thing he saw was that the dragon was sleeping, with what looked like a doll and Fleur walked away with the egg. He chuckled at the sleeping dragon.

"The Dragon fell asleep with a dolly," said Goyle, snickering at how weak the Dragon appeared to be. "Such a weakling! What else does it need? It's mommy?" Crabbe also snickered at the insult to the dragon.

Draco looked up at his cousin and noticed that she was frowning. She obviously heard the rude remarks from Goyle about the Dragon. Draco always wanted to know what was going through Ivy's brain every once in a while, so he could figure out what is making her so depressed. All because of her darn abusive mother, who hates her so much. He blinked away those thoughts out of his head to pay attention to the ring below him.

Draco watched as Victor Krum was the third to come out of the tent and he applauded Viktor with his fellow Slytherins. Victor ran around the ring, firing spells at the Dragon. Draco got quite bored, just watching Krum firing spells at the Dragon. It took him a couple of minutes to actually distract the dragon by firing a blinding curse at the dragon's eye. Viktor ran for the egg, grabbed it, and ran back into the tent without a sweat.

Draco started to get sweaty hands knowing Harry was next. He just couldn't bear knowing Harry wasn't going to make it, but he had faith and hope. He had a lot of it too. "Harry's next," he mumbled.

"Yes, Dray," Pansy said, giving him a knowing smile. It was so obvious he was concerned for Harry's life even when surrounded by people who think Draco still 'hates' Harry. "We know he's next. Scared you might lose the bet, now do you?"

Draco glared at Pansy, not understanding why he should be teased because of his crush on Harry. "You know exactly what I'm feeling," he snapped in a quiet voice at her, hoping she gets the jest. "Don't make me feel any worse, Pansy."

Pansy rolled her eyes at him and pouted as she said, "Scared you may lose your little Potter boyfriend?"

Draco kept the angry glare on his 'Supposed to be' best friend. And how dare she even say that in front of everyone though the sound of being Harry's boyfriend warmed him within. "Oh, come off it!"

Then the door to the tent opened, and out came Harry. Harry looked up at the stands and then looked at the angry Hungarian Horntail. He watched the dragon, the dragon watched him. The dragon roared and fired its flames at Harry as it was guarding its nest. Harry ducked below a rock just in time so the dragon couldn't fire its flames at him. He got up and crawled around the sides, coming closer and closer to the dragon.

Draco watched as Harry peeked his head up above a rock, but the dragon saw and slammed its tail at Harry. Harry ducked in time, but a ton of small rocks fell on him. Harry quickly pushed the rocks off him and got up, running zigzag towards the dragon but the dragon fired its flaming breath at Harry. Harry ducked again, running from one side of the ring to the other side.

Pansy and Blaise's facial expression gave a painful look and they mumbled, "Ouch!" while rubbing at their arms. They were glad they weren't in the ring with that Dragon, but they were worried about Harry's life.

Draco watched as Harry kept to the sides, ducking behind rocks as the dragon tried hitting him with its tail. Harry whipped out his wand and shouted something. Draco tried to listen to what Harry shouted, but the yells of all the other Hogwarts students made it hard. "What in Salazar Slytherin is he doing?" he asked at once and looking down at Harry worriedly, but he had his Malfoy Mask in place.

Crabbe snickered at the thought of Potter dying in the ring, coming out all grilled like a burnt toast. Everyone would be laughing at it. But that's what he thinks. "Not sure and I do not care about him," he said boldly and smirking at his friends, waiting for them to give him big hopeful grins or something to show gratitude but nobody did.

Draco elbowed Crabbe hard in the ribs for his rudeness. How dare the git not like Harry because Harry's just a wonderful human being that deserves all the love and attention in the world. "Oww!" Crabbe whined and rubbed at his ribs.

"It's my role to be rude to Potter, not yours!" Draco said angrily as his nostrils flared but he was feeling himself smile. He just wanted Harry to make it out of the task alive. It's all he ever wants right now. If he had to choose from a holiday to Greece or somewhere, new presents and new clothes over Harry, he would choose Harry right away. Pansy gave Draco a funny knowing look and rolled her eyes, muttering something unintelligible.

Draco studied Harry's face and saw a tiny smile come into view. He turned to see what Harry had spotted and saw something tiny fly towards him. He then knew that it was Harry's firebolt. "Genius!" He beamed and watched as the firebolt flew over the heads of those in the top row of the stands and straight into Harry's arms.

Harry quickly mounted his firebolt and flew towards the dragon, doing a barrel roll over the fire breathing dragon to escape its flames. Everyone in the stands had leapt to their feet, cheering and applauding Harry as he just escaped the dragon. Harry kept teasing the irritated dragon, soaring over its head, under its legs until the Dragon swung its tail at Harry.

Draco couldn't see whether the tail had done any damage to the Gryffindor's shirt since it was fully red. It appeared that Harry was fine and that he wasn't damaged by the tail as he soared over the Dragon, grabbed the golden egg and flew over Draco and his friends. Draco watched as Harry zoomed out of view on his Firebolt, the Dragon chasing after him.

Ivy suddenly jumped down from the seat she was on and sighed defeatedly as she searched through her black purse for a few galleons. "Well, Dray," she said, handing Draco five Galleons. "You won the bet."

Draco smirked and turned to look at an annoyed-looking Pansy. "You lost, remember?" Pansy rolled her eyes and gave Draco 5 galleons. "Thank you to the both of you."

As Harry was out flying the Dragon from who knows where Draco began to remember back when he first got to meet Harry. When he first met him in Madam Malkin's Robe shop, he remembered that his heartbeat was beating faster than ever. That day, he actually thought that he was having a panic attack, but now he knows what that feeling is. Draco smiled to himself, feeling that familiar beat of his heart quicken as he was thinking about Harry Potter. Even then, he didn't know he was actually meeting Harry Potter. But he always used his Malfoy Mask to hide his true emotions, because according to his father 'Malfoys don't show their emotions'. Draco blames it on his father and how he wants the Malfoys to be these perfect pureblooded wizards.

Draco recalls trying to flirt with Harry loads of times, but people only thought he was being his 'normal' rude self. Like last year in Hagrid's class with the Hippogriff, Draco kept checking Harry out a lot to show him his true feelings, but he never truly saw how he really felt.

Draco just loved Harry's eyes. Just look at them. Those beautiful Emerald Green eyes. He could get so lost in those eyes if he could. His skin looks so kissable. His face, that handsome face looks so kissable as well. His hair, even though it's ridiculously messy, looks so soft and fluffy. He'd love to run his hands through Harry's hair but a guy can dream. Draco blushed as he noticed he was staring and was trapped in his own thoughts until Crabbe elbowed him in the ribs for payback and Draco glanced at him angrily.

Draco felt relieved when Harry flew back to the ring. All of Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, and Durmstrang applauded and congratulated Harry. Draco saw Harry looking over towards Weasley and Granger, they both gave Harry thumbs up. He watched as Harry glanced up at him, he saw an actual smile planted on Harry's lips and it made him forget he was staring and made eye contact with him. He felt himself flush but quickly looked away. He really wanted to go and ask if Harry was okay, the cut the Hungarian Horntail's tail did to Harry looked quite painful. He sighed and walked down the stairs of the stands with Ivy and Pansy, heading back up to the castle. As soon as they left the stands, Draco felt the need to see if Harry was okay. "Be right back, guys."

Ivy and Pansy exchanged knowing looks and smiles and continued walking back to the castle. They knew he was going to check up on Harry. But the problem was if Draco was allowed in to see Harry. They didn't know if friends were allowed into the hospital tents or not.

Draco hurriedly walked back towards the tents, passing students going in the opposite direction to him. He fastened his pace and began jogging, as soon as he knew it, he was outside the hospital tent. Draco hid behind one of the flaps and glanced inside the tent, seeing no teachers in sight. He walked into the tent, looking from bed to bed until he crashed into someone. "Sorry."

Cedric Diggory looked down at Draco in pure confusion. He knows students and not even friends are allowed into the tents to see the contestants. "Malfoy, what on earth are you doing here?"

"I... I wanted to see you," Draco said simply and scratched the side of his neck. Clearly, his lie was not good enough because Cedric shook his head. As a Slytherin, it should be easy to lie. It's easy to lie to everyone except Harry, of course. It must be because Cedric's a few years older than him that he can see what a lie is and what's not.

"You wanted to see Harry, didn't you?" Cedric asked in a soft tone with a smile. Knowing the secret friendship Draco and Harry has, he just knows these two obviously care deeply for one another. It's honestly quite beautiful. Too bad they can't see their love for one another.

Draco sighed as the Hufflepuff knew exactly why he snuck in here and he nodded. He just hoped to Merlin Harry was okay, both mentally and physically. "Is he okay?" he asked with a serious look on his face. He just needed to know how Harry was.

Cedric gave him an assuring nod. Harry was so lucky today and he would give Harry the bloody cup just because he made it this far. "He has a scar from here," He ran his finger from his left shoulder horizontally down to his right side of his upper stomach. "To here."

Draco bit his lip as he wondered how Harry would be right now. A scar? He hoped it wouldn't be too noticeable, not that it didn't matter or anything. "Did Pomfrey say your face and hair will be..." He trailed off, looking at the orange paste on Cedric's face worriedly.

"She said my hair will grow back and that it won't leave a mark," Cedric said with a laugh and gave Draco a knowing smile before walking towards another tent with Draco by his side. "So, what's with you caring for Harry now? I mean, I know you two are friends now and all..."

"I care for people, not like my father ever does," Draco said with a smile towards the tent Harry could be in. He couldn't wait to see Harry's beautiful face and everything. "I'm more of my mother than my father, even though my father thinks I'm like him. And when I was younger, I sort of wanted to be like my father. That was until I realized how obnoxious and rude my father can be to others."

Cedric opened the flap of another hospital tent and spotted Harry sitting on his bed, staring at the floor. "I'm good to talk to, Draco," he tells him. He knows the Slytherins have a disliking to Hufflepuffs which doesn't bother him at all. "If you want to talk to me about anything, just ask."

Draco nodded his head, looking over at Harry. "I know," he says and suddenly feels a heating sensation rise to his cheeks and a sudden hatred at the Dragon who did this to Harry. "Thank you, Cedric."

Harry looked up at the two boys that entered into the tent. One was older and the other his own age. "Draco? What are you doing back here? Only contestants are allowed to visit me." He knows only Cedric's allowed back here to talk with him, but not Draco. He wouldn't mind Draco breaking a rule or two just to see him. But the thought of Draco getting in trouble all because of him crossed his mind.

Cedric smiled and looked at Draco, then at Harry. "I think this is my cue to leave," he said as he wants these two to have a secret talk with each other. He has a feeling something interesting will surely happen. "Farewell, boys."

"Oh, okay," Harry said with a small smile and watched as Cedric turned around after smiling at them and went to the exit of the tent. "Goodbye, Cedric."

Draco watched as Cedric left the tent. When the Hufflepuff was completely out of his sight he turned his head back to the raven-haired Gryffindor sitting on the hospital bed. His face softened and he furrowed his eyes worriedly, "So, how are you feeling? I saw what the Dragon did to you, is it bad?"

Harry gave Draco a questioning look but shook his head. "I'm fine," he told him. Yet again another lie but he was fine with the Dragon scar. It will heal eventually It's just his mental pain he feels inside. "The scar has been disinfected and patched up. Madam Pomfrey gave me pain-relief potions, I can tell they work because I feel really fuzzy."

Draco nodded, agreeing with Harry on the hateful fuzzy feeling from those potions. He remembered last year, breaking his elbow from the Hippogriff, and having to take the potion. "I understand how you feel," he told him in a soothing voice and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you feel better, Harry."

"Thank you, Draco," Harry said and tried not to frown but having Draco's hand on his shoulder somehow helped him. Everything he had just done in the task had drained him both emotionally and physically. He knew what he needed to do but it was too dangerous and hadn't a clue how long he would have to wait until he could go back up to the castle.

Draco smiled at him, but he saw the familiar dull look in the Gryffindor's eyes and looked at him sympathetically. "It's no problem at all, Harry." He hopes that one day Harry will tell him what goes on in that mind of his and how he can help him.

Harry blinked; he still had to ask Draco about what happened in class the other day and What Draco wanted to ask him. "So, the other day in class..." he said and trailed off a little. He blinked again and thought about how to say this. "I forgot which class it was to be exact and you were going to ask me something. Do you by any chance remember what it was?"

Draco remember clearly what he wanted to ask; he just didn't have the guts to actually ask the question right now. He decided to lie, even though he hates lying to this amazing guy. His best friend. "No, sorry," he said and regretted lying already. "I've forgotten what I wanted to ask you."

Harry looked down to the ground and sighed. He was hoping Draco remembered because it sounded very important. "Oh, it's okay."

Draco studied Harry's demeanour, seeing as he looked sad like always. Every time he asks if Harry's okay, he gets the 'I'm fine' lie. He wanted to know what was up with him but didn't know if he should ask. "Are you alright?"

Harry nodded slowly, still looking at the ground with a blank expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. Another lie it was, and he's not too happy about it. He wished he could tell Draco but if he does, he just knows Draco will throw him to the side of the footpath and walk away after calling him a freak.

Draco recognized those familiar words; Ivy had always used those words to mask out how she really was feeling. He also recognized those eyes that looked so lost to the world, so emotionless. He noted to himself that he should keep a close eye on Harry for a while.

He walked over to Harry's bed and sat down, smiling gently at him. He reached up and ran his fingers slowly through the Gryffindor's hair, feeling the softness of his raven locks through his fingers. It made the Gryffindor's cheeks tinge red. "Well, I must head off now," he told his favourite Gryffindor friend. His only Gryffindor friend actually. "Don't want my fellow Slytherins searching the whole castle for me in packs."

Harry started to chuckle at the image of Slytherins transforming into wolves and swarming the corridors of Hogwarts in a pack looking for their alpha. Would Draco actually be the alpha of the Slytherin house, or would that position be for Snape? It didn't really matter anyway. "Okay then."

Draco smiled at himself for making Harry laugh. Seeing the boy laugh and smile always made his day brighten up a lot, especially if he's having a hard time caring for Ivy because of how she runs off and hides who knows where. Harry's smiles were like the sun, they could lighten up the darkest room and they brightened up Draco's day.

"Draco?" Harry looked at him, staring into silver orbs. He could get so lost in them. No, he's already getting so lost in those silver eyes that belong to his crush. 'The eyes are the pathways to the soul', he remembers hearing something similar from the muggle world, but he just didn't know where.

Draco really didn't want to leave, but he knew Ivy and Pansy would be starting to worry about his whereabouts. "Yes, Harry?" he asked in a dreamy-like voice.

"Thank you," Harry said, trying to smile sweetly at the Slytherin but knew it wasn't working. All that mattered was that he tried. He was smiling a little, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Draco raised one of his blonde eyebrows, not knowing why he is being thanked by Harry. What did he do? He doesn't remember doing anything other than coming here. "What for?"

"For checking on me," said Harry a little sadly. He wished Hermione and Ron came to check up on him, but they didn't. He knew they couldn't, but best friends were supposed to be there for each other, right? "Only Cedric and Professor McGonagall have come to visit me."

Draco nodded sadly. What did he mean 'only the professor came to see him?' Surely Harry's friends were allowed in, weren't they? "It's no problem at all, Harry," he said in a comforting tone. He went over to the bed and gave Harry a big hug as he needed it so badly. He could have lost Harry today then what? He didn't even want to think that.

Harry could smell something utterly familiar coming from Draco. Citrus and Vanilla. But Harry didn't know where he had recently smelt it from, other than Draco, of course. Draco could feel Harry wincing in the hug which he pulled out and studied him. "I'm so sorry!"

Harry shook his head with a little smile. He didn't want Draco to apologize for anything if he didn't even do anything. "Don't be sorry Draco and thank you!" he told him gently. "I'm still a bit sore from the Dragon."

Draco gave Harry a reassuring smile and placed a hand over Harry's chin. He doesn't actually know why he did that. His actions and body work in mysterious ways when with Harry. "I hope you get better, Harry."

Harry blushed slightly at the gesture, actually wishing that hand was intertwined with his. "Thanks, Draco. I'll see you soon I hope."

Draco nodded but hesitated, staring right into green emeralds. He leaned forward, his hand on Harry's cheek was slightly pushing Harry towards him and he kissed the Gryffindor's cheek. Harry's cheeks felt so warm and soft to the touch. He leaned away after disconnecting his lips from Harry's cheek and smiled at the rosiness to Harry's cheeks. "Promise me you won't try to do anything stupid like this again?" he asked with an affectionate smile and felt the blood run down to his cheeks.

Harry's cheeks reddened even more from the kiss; he could not believe Draco had kissed him. The same warm lips he had kissed back in the library's secret room had kissed his cheeks. They were so warm and sent pleasurable shivers down his spine. "I-I promise, Draco," he stuttered and smiled sweetly at the blonde snake. "T-Thank you."

Draco nodded and still could not believe he just kissed Harry. He sighed deeply and stood up from the bed, not losing eye contact from the gorgeous Gryffindor on the bed. "I must go, Pansy and Ivy will be worried."

"Oh, okay," was all Harry could say as he was still stunned from the kiss the Slytherin gave his cheek. He could still feel Draco's kiss lingering on his cheek. He recalled what Fred has said to him back at the dancing practice, 'I am never washing my cheeks again'. Harry laughed eternally on the inside and thought the same thing. "Goodbye, Draco". He gave a little wave to the Slytherin.

"Farewell, Harry," Draco said with a wave goodbye. He turned to leave for the exit with a bright smile planted on his face. He heard Bagman's voice echoing throughout the arena, announcing Harry's scores. There was a moment of silence as the crowd did the math and a roar of excitement as they realized that Harry had tied Krum for first place. Unbelievable, Draco thought with a groan. How does he do that?

*****

Harry was just resting on the bed in the tent, he had just been patched up from where the Hungarian Horntail scratched him. Harry was going over the conversation he had with Draco not long ago, as well as when Draco kissed his cheek. The kiss. It was the most memorable thing he could remember. It was so soft, so warm and made his insides tingle all over. He felt truly amazing and wondered what it would feel like to have those lips kiss his own.

In a matter of minutes, Professor McGonagall came in from another tent and interrupted Harry's train of thoughts. "Mr Potter? Please come and join the others, it's about the egg and about the next task."

Harry nodded and followed the Professor into the bigger tent. He realized that he wasn't the only one who got a little hurt. Cedric was missing some patches of his hair, he also had yellow paste on his face which Harry didn't see before. He smiled at Cedric, non-verbally asking if he was okay.

Cedric nodded and smiled back at Harry. "So, how'd the talk with Draco go?" he asked in a curious tone, nudging the younger bloke on his arm. "What did he ask?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't know if he should tell Cedric about the kiss or not even if it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. "Nothing much," he told him, careful about saying anything that could relate to his health. "He just asked me how I was doing and how classes have been."

Cedric nodded. But then he looked a little curious for Harry's sakes. "You know, he seemed pretty eager to find you when I found him."

Harry blushed and looked down at the floor, smiling and rubbing at his neck. "Heh. Really?" he said, a little intrigued about what Cedric and Draco talked about. "Did he say anything about me?" Yet again it wasn't a question.

Cedric shook his head, a sad smile appeared on his face. "No, sorry to burst your love bubble," he said a little regrettably, knowing Harry really likes Draco. "Although, he really seemed worried about you."

Harry smiled and looked back up at Cedric. He quite enjoys knowing Draco and other people do care about him. But that's just what he thinks "It's alright. It's been new for me to hear he cares for me ever since the start of the year. Oh, and-he-sort-of-kissed-me-on-the-cheek-after-you-left."

Cedric laughed joyfully, but also with a little surprise. That was definitely something new to hear and he was glad he heard about it. "You have no idea, don't you?" he asked him with a knowing smile. He just wants to tell Harry what he believes but he'll leave that for Harry to figure out.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, a little confused with what Cedric's telling him. "Excuse me? No idea about what?"

Cedric kept his knowing smiled on his lips and asked himself how Harry could be so oblivious. "Never mind that," he said and patted Harry on the shoulder, congratulating him with the kiss Draco gave Harry. "Let's head to the others, I'm sure they're ready to tell us about this... golden egg."

Harry nodded and followed Cedric to another tent. As he entered, he looked around the room and saw Fleur and Krum. Fleur looked alright, although, she did seem a little burnt. Krum looked better than the rest of the contestants, it was like he's fought a dragon before.

In stunned shock, Harry listened to Bagman talk about the eggs and the clue for the next task. He had survived the dragon and was tied for first place in fact. He uncomfortably moved the egg to his other arm, his shoulder still stung where he had been cut by the Horntail spike. At last, they were sent on their way by Bagman and Harry turned to walk out of the tent. Harry definitely needed a rest; he was so exhausted at how much running and flying he needed to do to escape the dragon. In fact, this whole task distracted him from his depression.

Before Harry could make it up to the castle, Viktor walked up to him with a smile on his face. " 'Ello," he said, making Harry stop and turn around. He had something to ask but it was a little hard to ask in English.

"Uh... Hello," Harry said with a fake smile. Viktor had never talked to him since he got to the United Kingdom, so this was a little awkward for him. He seems like a nice guy but was he really or is it all an act?

"Vant to take a valk?" Viktor then asked.

Harry shrugged his shoulders; he didn't know if this was a trick or not. He did know Viktor learnt stuff about the Dark Arts at his school so he could easily knock Harry to the ground and curse him. "Sure, why not."

Viktor smiled down at Harry and led him out into the Grounds of Hogwarts, not seeing the emptiness in the boy's eyes. They were heading towards the Forbidden Forest, Harry still felt as if this were a trick but didn't really care at all. He knows it's practically suicide risking going towards the Forbidden Forrest with Viktor but... He was suicidal.

" 'ow little are you?" Viktor asked him, raising an eyebrow at the younger boy beside him. The sudden question brought Harry out of his dark thoughts.

Harry looked up at Viktor with confusion, he didn't know if that was an insult or not. He doesn't care if its an insult though. He can take whatever comes his way. "Little?" said Harry as he fumbles with the hems of his sleeves. "What do you mean, little?"

"Az in yearz," Viktor said and placed his hand on the small of Harry's back which he could easily reach because of his long arms. He was leading Harry further down towards the Forbidden forest, away from everyone else.

"Oh," said Harry, then feeling a little uncomfortable with what Viktor is doing. He swears that hand is moving down south to where it shouldn't be going. He quickly stepped away from the older bloke's grasp and said, "I'm 14."

Viktor nodded, feeling a little dejected that he didn't have Harry in his grasp anymore. Sometimes life is unfair, but having an unfair life isn't that rare when you're a Quidditch World Star. "You ride very vell on a broom. Firebolt, iz it not?"

Harry kept staring blankly down at the grass, not knowing where this conversation is going to go. "Thanks, and yeah," he said with a short woeful nod. "I have a Firebolt." Why was he even here? He could be up at the castle in front of a nice warm fireplace, warming his fingers and toes with the golden egg somewhere away from him where he doesn't have to worry about it.

"Ve should play Quidditch together sometime," Viktor then said as he looked down at Harry. That was easy. It would have been easier to say it in his native language, but the young Gryffindor just doesn't know about the language.

Harry didn't understand what he was hearing. Did Viktor Krum, a world-famous Quidditch player ask if he wanted to play with him? It sounds like a dream come true to huge Quidditch fans. "Sure, it sounds fun," he said flatly as he didn't want the Bulgarian to be disappointed in him. After all, the bloke invited him to play Quidditch with him. "I'll think about it when I don't have mounds of homework to do."

"And, I think you have very good friends too," Viktor said with a smile at Harry. He crossed his arms over his chest, but it wasn't to block out the cold.

"Yes, I have very good friends," Harry said and smiled a little; he knew that without hesitation. His friends, including Draco, were really incredible even though they have no idea what he goes through.

Krum slapped him on the back, but it wasn't too hard. "Maybe someday vhen this is all over, vhe vill meet in a game of Quidditch?" With a brief smile, the Bulgarian walked away from Harry and rejoined Karkaroff who had been glaring at Harry from across the room.

Harry, Cedric, and Fleur all headed back up to the castle and to their dormitories for the rest of the day, until it was lunch or dinner. As Harry opened the Pink Lady's portrait to the Gryffindors common room, he was greeted with every Gryffindor he knew and didn't know. He gave them all a fake smile while they congratulate and applaud him, much like after he got the egg. Harry honestly needed some rest, so he walked past everyone, and made his way up to the dormitory.

Surely enough, he was greeted by Dean, Neville, and Ron. "Congrats, Harry," all three boys said to Harry, smiling, knowing he made it out alive with only a scar.

"Thanks, guys," Harry said with a little smile and greeted them all with high fives. He never really expected everyone to be cheering for him when he was tied for first place with Viktor.

"It's no problem, Harry," Dean said with a slight dismissed wave. "We're all just glad you made it. It would have been completely sad to see you get terribly hurt or killed in that ring."

"Ye have no idea how much ye mean to us all even though we're dormmates," Seamus finished for him. "Ye're like brothers to us all, Harry. Brothers we never had, except Ron of course. How many brothers does he have? Five, not including him?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Harry, agreeing with them all. But when hearing Dean and Seamus say how much they care for him really got to him. Do they actually care for him or are they just saying it to make him feel better from the event he participated in? "Can I please go and rest?" he added as he knows he needs to rest right now. He honestly just wants to think back to the time when Draco kissed his cheek. "Merlin knows I need it." He yawned, taking off his dirty clothes whilst replacing them with his school robes and flopping onto his bed.

"Sure thing, Harry," Neville said softly as Ron and Dean nodded at him to let Harry rest silently on his bed until he awoke.

*****

His footsteps filled the corridor with sound as Harry rushed to Herbology, he was almost 20 minutes late. Bagman had scheduled a morning press conference for all of the champions. The same insane questions were asked again and again. Finally, Cedric and Harry had been excused to leave. The burns had healed on Cedric's face, but his hair was still missing on the left side of his head. Cedric had laughed good-naturedly when the photographer suggested that he stand with his right side facing the camera.

Harry walked into Sprout's classroom and froze. Everyone in the classroom was standing up and shouting. In the centre of the chaos was Draco and Ron covered in soil. Hermione was shouting at Draco and Seamus was holding her back. Harry pulled out his wand and rushed forward. "What the hell-"

"Harry Potter. Put your wand away!" Professor Sprout moved forward, pushing students out of the way to get to the pair. "You are late. I'm sorry but I have to give you a Detention. You may serve it tonight with Mr Malfoy, who-" Professor Sprout turned and stared down at Draco, "somehow is incapable of growing up and stopping a dirt fight before it gets out of hand. And Mr Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor for actually throwing dirt around the room." Draco nonchalantly hid his hand under the table, dropped the dirt on the floor and walked away.

The Gryffindors shouted with outrage at the injustice. "Please, quieten down and get back to moving the Wiggentree saplings into a larger pot," Professor Sprout said and went back to the front of the room. Harry, bewildered at what had happened before he entered the room, wiped some dirt from Ron's shoulders. Ron grunted and rubbed the dirt from his hands. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Ron was looking around Harry, trying to see where Draco was. "I don't know what happened," he told Harry innocently. "We were just getting the soil and he shoved past me and then I shoved him back and threw dirt at him..."

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the Slytherins, glaring at them. "We better get to work before Professor Sprout decides to take more points," she said, and her two friends agreed with her with a nod. Ron walked back to the table and up-righted the pot of soil that had spilled.

Harry looked over at Draco who was standing with Zabini at their table, he appeared to be focusing on repotting the Wiggentree as well as scourgifying himself. Only the two red streaks of colour in his cheeks and the tense set of his shoulders gave anything away. Glancing at Sprout who had her back to the room, Harry stalked over to Draco and hissed, "What the hell was that for?"

Draco didn't look up from his plant he was repotting, "None of your business." As much as he would love to tell Harry, he just knew it would be hard to believe. The Weasel started it anyway.

"Draco, you pick a fight with my friends, it is my business," said Harry in a clear voice. Does he still not get it? He told Draco when the truce happened that he shouldn't mess with his friends. It's a simple rule so what happened?

The Slytherin snarled back, "Friend, don't make me laugh."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked him quickly. What does the Slytherin mean? "Don't tell me-"

"Mr Potter, you seem eager to spend more time with Mr Malfoy," said Professor Sprout in a loud voice and it echoed through the Greenhouse. "Mr Zabini, you will be Mr Weasley's partner. Mr Potter, stay where you are." Draco's hand slipped as he was holding the Wiggentree sapling. Harry cursed and looked over at Ron who was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Draco. Listen," Harry said and looked around, to make sure no one could hear. "When I told you to give me your worst, I meant me. Not my friends. They are off-limits."

"Harry, please get to work," Draco said and shoved Harry in the chest with his shoulder. He just wanted to get this done so he doesn't have to deal with knowing Weasel was in the same room as him again. Harry involuntarily sucked in air as a flash of pain travelled through his chest.

Draco froze. He looked from Harry's face to his chest and back again. "I thought that Pomfrey fixed you up," he said, and his eyebrows drew in together with concern. He was sure Madam Pomphrey had stitched and healed every scar and sore on Harry besides the one on his forehead. "Cedric said that you were okay."

"Keep your voice down, someone will hear," Harry snapped, looking down at the open Herbology book on the table. He didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. All he heard was repotting some tree. "Anyway, I'm fine. Forget about it." He looked down at the open page of Draco's book that read 'Wiggentrees' "What are we supposed to be doing?"

"We're re-potting these Wiggentree saplings," Draco said and pointed at the blackboard in the front of the classroom which read out the instructions of what the class will be doing today and what needs to be finished by the end of the lesson. "We need more soil."

Harry glared at Draco and walked into the storeroom; he didn't realize that Draco was right behind him until the door closed behind him. "What's wrong with you?" He exclaimed, moving to shove Draco aside.

"What's wrong with me? What is wrong with you!" Draco snapped; his arms folded on his chest as he leaned against the door. He frowned a little, hoping Harry was okay and that the scars will heal. "I thought you weren't hurt that bad."

"I want to know why you fought Ron," Harry said in a demanding tone and glared at him, but he couldn't persuade a Slytherin like Draco to admit first and answer last. He wasn't that good in persuading.

Draco moved towards him, "Tell me why you are still hurting, and I'll tell you why I dirt fought with the git." Slytherin persuasion and interrogation always win. It's how many Slytherins get what they want.

Harry stared at him in disbelief; he raked both his hands through his hair in frustration. "Fine," he said with a silent sigh. "It's nothing. It just turns out that some people react badly to Hungarian Horntail scales. Just my dumb luck that I'm one of them. The wound is all healed, but it is going to take time to stop hurting. Your turn."

Draco looked up at him, mesmerized by the mop on Harry's head that he calls hair and how it bounces back in place. It's still messy as always, but to him it's perfect. He needs to stop getting distracted by Harry's hair. "How long is it going to hurt like that?"

"I don't know," said Harry quickly with a shrug. Then he gave him a serious look, wanting to know why Ron was suddenly involved. "Your turn, talk."

"Fine," Draco snarled out of annoyance at having to talk about the Weasel. It's like hearing an annoying buzz from a bee or a fly that hangs around your ear. "I fought with him because he treated you like rubbish-"

The door swung open and the short figure of Sprout filled the doorway. She looked sharply between Harry and Draco. "You have forty minutes left of class to re-pot the saplings, may I suggest you get started?" Professor Sprout then stalked away, leaving the door open.

Harry looked out the doorway and saw everyone in the class staring at them. He looked back at Draco with a worried look, they had been in the closet for a while. "Erm, we need to..." Draco gave a quick nod and motioned for Harry to walk past him. Harry almost laughed as Draco's foot tripped him as he went past. He caught himself and stalked back to the table.

The two of them worked in silence for the rest of the time. Draco's face was completely blank, focused on the task in front of him, telling Harry to add more soil, dig a hole in the small pot and plant the tree. Harry automatically did whatever Draco told him to do. In his head, he was replaying the conversation in the storeroom. What had he been about to say about Ron?

"Time." Sprout stood up from her desk and began checking everyone's plants. Draco swore, they still had to add more saplings to each pot before they were finished. Sprout stopped and looked at their unfinished work. "It appears that if you two want to receive a grade you will need to spend your lunch hour finishing your potting's. Class dismissed."

Ron and Hermione rushed over to Harry, worried for their best friend who's being kept in detention with Draco. "We'll stay and help you finish Harry," Hermione said, not acknowledging Draco at all and he was fine with that.

"Afraid that Harry can't take care of himself?" Draco sneered. Merlin, do Harry's friends always treat him like some child? He knows Weasley and Granger are just being nice and helpful to Harry, but do they actually know what goes on in Harry's life that makes him so depressed? Do they? Aren't good friends supposed to know and ask Harry questions like he does to Ivy?

"Listen, Malfoy, -" Ron snapped in a harsh tone. He just wanted to get Harry and Hermione out of here and away from Malfoy.

Harry interrupted them before any other fight breaks loose, "Ron, just go to lunch. I'll be there in a few minutes. We are almost done with these saplings. He," Harry pointed a finger at Draco, "isn't going to do anything that I can't handle."

"Don't be so sure of that," Draco muttered under his breath with a slight smile, enjoying this little three on one argument. Can't Weasel and Granger just go away now so that he can be alone with Harry? Its what he wants right now.

Hermione looked worriedly between the two of them, even if she knew Harry and Malfoy are friends. It's what she knows anyway. "Harry, you aren't better yet-"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Harry cut her off, turned back and stared at the unfinished pots filled with soil, pretending to know what he was supposed to be doing next. Secretly, he too wants Hermione and Ron to head to lunch so he and Draco can talk alone together.

"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley, unless you wish to start cleaning up the dirt mess may I suggest you leave," Sprout's calm voice carried across the classroom even though the professor hadn't looked up from the papers she was grading.

"It's okay," Harry told them earnestly with a little smile. "I'm being honest to god here. Go to lunch guys." The two Gryffindors reluctantly headed out the door and as soon as it closed, Draco and Harry both gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, why did you fight Ron?"

Draco glanced up to the front of the classroom where Sprout was still sitting at her desk. He then looked beside him at Harry, "I fought him because he treated you like a pariah for three weeks. You win the task yesterday and now he wants to be your mate again?" Harry stared at him in disbelief.

Harry took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Doesn't he know that Ron actually apologized a whole ago? "Draco, you can't do that," he said with a shake of his head. "This thing with Ron, it was complicated, but it's over and we both want to forget about it. He and I are okay now. We've been okay for about a while now because he apologized."

"Fine," said Draco with a sigh. He's just so confused right now. "Let people treat you like Skrewt excrement and walk all over you." He pointed at the saplings in front of them, "Add those to the pots filled with soil."

They worked silently next to each other and finished the re-potting. Harry was going over the entire conversation in his head. What did Draco care that Ron was talking to him again? He planted the final sapling and gave it to Draco, which when Draco reached his hand towards the pot their hands touched, and they looked each other in the eye. "Do what you want to me, Draco," he told him and gave a quick pat to the Slytherin's hand. "But don't fight my friends."

Draco hesitated like he was going to object and then shrugged, a slight blush on his cheeks from the gesture. He turned and walked to Sprout's desk and set the pot down.

Sprout looked up, her eyes glancing between the two of them. She knew about them and she enjoyed watching their relationship blossom into something new even if it takes some time. "Mr Potter, you may go," she said, and Harry nodded with a glance over at Draco. She smiled as she caught him in the act. "Detention at 7 o'clock. I have some muggle plants that need to be planted for oncoming classes. Shouldn't take the two of you more than an hour or two. Draco, Professor Snape wants to talk to you."

Both boys walked out of the greenhouses together until they were in a clearing, and they turned to one another. "Well, Harry, I guess I'll see you soon," said Draco and reached his hands low to grasp at Harry's hands. He didn't know why he did that but thought it was necessary. "Seven o'clock to be precise."

Harry looked down at their intertwined hands and felt a little surprised, but also quite incredible. Draco's hands were so neat with perfect rounded nails and... He's going off-topic. "Yeah," he said as he looked up into the eyes of Draco Malfoy. "I'll see you soon."

Draco smiled and let go of Harry's hands, and they dropped to his sides. "I... um, I need to go meet with the professor. See you, Harry." With a wink, he turned right and left, leaving Harry blushing a little and staring at the blonde's arse.

"I need to stop doing that," Harry mutters to himself and shakes his head, trying to rid his mind of Draco's bottom. He sighs and starts heading towards the Great Hall.

*****

Cedric caught up with him just outside of the Great Hall. "What happened with Draco?" The Hufflepuff asked him and looked rather worried. "Everyone is talking about how he and Ron Weasley had a dirt fight in class today."

Harry shrugged and smiled, remembering the feel of Draco's warm hands around his own. "I asked him, and he said he fought Ron because he was mad that Ron was talking to me again," he told the Hufflepuff. "I don't get it."

Cedric gave a little smile and shrugged, "Draco probably sees things differently than most people. He grew up differently than all us and was made to think that certain blood types should be looked down upon."

Harry gave a laugh, knowing that was true. "That's for sure." But that woman he saw in Twilfit and Tattings who he now knew was Draco's mother, she didn't look like the type of person who would say negative things about blood status.

"No, I mean he probably sees things in black and white," said Cedric and he hoped Harry was getting what he was saying. "You don't desert your friends. You defend them. Friends. Enemies. No middle ground. You moved from one side to the other, now he is going to protect you."

Harry stared at Cedric, not sure about this all that he's saying. "So, he is mad because Ron was mad at me and now, we're friends again? That doesn't make any sense."

Cedric paused and took a moment to think about this. "Maybe not to you or me, but to Draco," he said and shrugged. "You remember how Draco snuck into the tents after the first task? He pretended it was to see me, but he wanted to know how badly you were hurt. Something to think about."

"That doesn't sound like Draco Malfoy," said Harry with a little shake of his head. But he knew it sounded exactly like the Draco he knows. The kind, caring, and incredible Draco he got to know through the first two months of this year.

"I know but remember what I told you at the Quidditch World Cup?" asked Cedric, and Harry nodded. "Everybody has good and evil in them, Harry. It's just how they act that makes them who they are."

"Oh, yeah," said Harry, rubbing at his arm from under his sleeve. "Um..." He pointed behind him to the Great Hall, wanting to get away because he feels a little awkward talking about Draco like this. He loves talking about Draco or talking with Draco but talking behind the Slytherin's back is a no-go zone for him. "I'm going to go that way..."

Cedric nodded and watched as Harry entered the Great Hall. He sighed and decided to get some dinner too. Pork sounded like a good dinner on this tiring eventful day.

*****

Harry walked into Sprout's classroom. Draco was already there sitting at a table with many pots with lots of different muggle flowers in smaller pots. He could see roses, Azaleas, Jasmine's, and a few Rhododendrons. Sprout stood at the blackboard the next day's lesson up on the blackboard, her wand directing the chalk across the board.

"Take care when re-potting these muggle flowers, there are plants with spikes called cactuses," the professor warned them. "Just re-pot all the flowers into the larger pot. Also, add three worms to each larger pot as they will help the plant. You may begin."

Harry sat down next to Draco. He looked into the bucket of worms; the bucket was filled with dirt, but no worms were encountered. "Have you done this before?" He looked over at Draco who was staring into the bucket with distaste.

"No," Draco drawled and hoped there weren't gigantic finger-eating worms inside. "You?"

"No, we had to wash pots last time, can't be much worse than that," Harry said with little hesitation and then looked around. He doesn't want his fingers getting dirty even if he's played with Earthworms before in Aunt Petunia's garden. "Is there a ladle or something we can use? I'm not sticking my hand in there."

Draco looked in the bucket again, and he curled his lip. "Ugh," he groaned, and that groan went right down to Harry's groin which he moved on his seat a little uncomfortably. "Look in the drawers over there."

Harry chose to ignore the odd feeling in his pants. He almost told Draco to go look but he stood up and started opening drawers until he found two large spoons. He brought them over to the table and handed one to Draco. "You, first." Draco scowled but plunged his spoon in and fished out a couple of worms, they were just normal earthworms.

"Oh..." said Harry and he jabbed at a worm. It wriggled around and He decided to pick it up and place it in its hand. "They're just worms. See?" He moved his hand holding the wriggly worm towards Draco, who leaned back and away from the worm, his face both a mixture of disgust and surprise.

"I thought you said you've never done this before," Draco said as he grabbed a pot and started filling it up with soil, forgetting about the worm in Harry's hand. "I don't like liars, Harry. You should know this."

"I'm not lying," said Harry and felt a little guilty and sad that Draco called him a liar. He truly wasn't lying though. "I just haven't worked with worms before." He placed the little worm back in the bucket and sighed. "I've seen them before, yes. I've had to plant a few flowers in my Aunts garden, and I've seen the worms wriggling around in the soil."

"Oh," said Draco, giving a pained look towards the bucket filled with soil and worms. "Wait... why doesn't your Aunt plant flowers in her garden herself and make you do them? That's a little unfair, isn't it?"

"I guess so," said Harry with a shrug. He knew he shouldn't have said anything because it would just lead to more questions. "What did Snape want to talk to you about after class?" He added more questions just so he gets answers about things.

"About controlling my loathing of Gryffindors, and my friendship with you," Draco said with a sideways glance towards Harry, and he gave a small smile at Harry. He wondered how Harry would look with a rose placed on his ear.

"What did you tell him?" Harry asked as he filled up two pots with soil and placed three worms in the soil of both. He grabbed a small rose bush, dug a hole with his fingers and planted it.

"That I would try my very best, but it was very trying considering what a pathetic lot of losers you lot are," Draco told him which made Harry chuckle and he smiled with satisfaction. "And that he should back off when I actually start making friends with people other than Slytherins." He has successfully finished repotting and adding worms to azalea and a bottlebrush plant.

Harry fished out nine worms from the bucket and added them to three other soil-filled pots. Draco sighed and re-potted a Lily and a Jasmine flower. "five down, dozens to go." He stared at a hibiscus, looking at the beauty of it. He glanced at Harry and admired his handsome complexion. He smiled, knowing what he liked best and pressed his leg up against Harry's for a reaction.

Harry's breath hiked, feeling someone else's leg against his own. It was Draco's, of course. He noticed Draco was staring at him, he smiled back at the Slytherin. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Draco said with a smirk. He pondered what Harry felt when he pressed his leg up at Harry's. Did it give him a funny feeling in his pants or something else?

Harry reached into the bucket, grabbing a worm with his fingers, and showing it to Draco. He smiled at the disgusted look on the blonde's face. "Imagine being a worm, all you do is eat dirt for the rest of your life."

"Hm, kind of reminds me of someone," said Draco and he wriggled his eyebrows at Harry playfully. He hoped that insult to the Weasel wasn't too bad. But the way Harry was glaring at him told him that he drew the line. "Sorry, I'm used to making fun of Weasley."

Harry eventually sighed, accepting the apology from the Slytherin. He just hopes in the future all the Gryffindor's and Slytherin's can all be friends. "Please, no more making fun of my friends, Draco. And no wealth shaming them."

Draco sighed and rubbed at his brows. "Fine..." He said and quickly started re-potting a Sunflower and another rose. "Come on let's finish this. The sooner we are done the sooner we are out of here."

Harry reached over the table to grab some other flowers; pain shot through his chest as he did so. "Ahhh!" he dropped his arm hastily, rubbing his chest where the Horntail scar burned. God, he hoped this pain wouldn't last for months.

Draco looked at him sadly and shook his head. "What did Pomfrey say about your pain?" he asked him, furrowing his brows with complete worry. It hurt so much to see Harry in pain. "Can't she give you something for it?"

"Pain potions, yes," said Harry, nodding as he forced himself to start re-potting another plant and adding three worms to the soil. He wished he could take more pain potion, so he doesn't have to deal with this bloody pain every hour. "I already had one dosage of it, don't know if I can have another until tomorrow."

He kept thinking back to Saturday night when they had sat together next to the fire after coming in from flying. It had felt so...comfortable. He really hadn't had time to think about that night since then. He looked at Draco who was working on another worm, he rested his head on Draco's shoulder and sighed. Six weeks ago, he never would have thought that he would be spending time alone with Draco Malfoy and wishing for more.

"Come on, I'm not doing these by myself," said Draco and his voice forced Harry to focus on the task at hand.

"Doesn't my status as first place in the Triwizard tournament count to get me out of a couple of worms and flowers?" Harry asked boldly with a smirk, and Draco clearly sees what Harry's trying to do. Good luck with that actually.

"Tied for first place with Krum," Draco quickly corrected. "Although I'm sure you can find some first years that would be willing to do all of your detentions for an autograph."

"Yeah," Harry said and placed a worm on the table and watched as it went 'splat' on the table. He wouldn't actually get firsties to do his work for him, no matter how desperate he is. He'll just have a few study dates with Draco. "Splat."

"Don't say splat," said Draco as he looked down at the worm in front of Harry. Now he was worried about the worm's life and he cannot believe he would even think that of a worm. It has a worthless life anyway. What is its purpose? Is it to eat dirt all its life?

At last, they were done. Harry placed the worm from on the table into a pot under a pink azalea. "When do you want to meet again?" he asked the blonde Slytherin who pushed his last pots in front of him. "Like searching the other doors behind the green one?"

"Why don't we wait until your shoulder is better," Draco suggested and ran a hand through his hair and like always, Harry just watched Draco's hair bounce back into place like it was the most fascinating thing to see. It was to him anyway. "Go flying afterwards?"

"Sounds good," said Harry, suddenly excited about their next get together. "I'll see you around..." They both headed out of the classroom together.

"Hey, Harry," Draco called out, just as he was turning right to go towards Slytherin dungeons. He just wanted to give Harry a little something... He just had to quickly figure out how he'll say and do it.

"Yeah?" Harry turned around to face Draco. He didn't really have anything to do right now beside head to the common room and get some rest. Rest wasn't on his agenda right now and he'd rather spend the rest of the night with Draco.

Draco glanced around the corridors seeing nobody and pulled Harry by the arm into a surprise hug. He felt giddy as Harry hugged him back. "I might have said this already but I really was scared and worried for you today," he told him in a soft voice, and his breath ghosted on Harry's neck, making the tiny hairs stand up. "You haven't an idea what I would do without you in my life. If the Dragon had injured you badly, I probably would have jumped into that ring and fought it myself." He leaned away from the hug a little and moved his hands down to grab onto Harry's elbows. "You have no idea how you make me feel, Harry." He cleared his throat and smiled as he felt himself get so lost in the green eyes of Harry. "Oh, good job on the task yesterday and remember what I said."

Harry flashed a smile, a light blush crept up his face at the way Draco was looking at him and holding him in his arms. It was in a loving way, and Harry felt millions of butterflies' flap around inside his stomach, and his heart hammer against his chest. "Thanks, Draco," he said a little shyly. "See you soon." He let go of the hug and stared into Draco's silver eyes, not losing eye contact. He looked away with a blush, went the other way and headed to the Gryffindor tower.

"Wait!" Draco called and jogged after him with a smile on his face. Hasn't Harry gotten the message yet? Damn Harry and his obliviousness. "You forgot your kiss!"

Harry froze and turned around, a little confused and overwhelmed. "M-My what?" What the bloody hell did the Slytherin mean? And to his surprise Draco cupped his face and kissed his cheek for the second time today, leaving Harry surprised and a little speechless. He wanted to say how he makes him feel but he just couldn't find the words to say it.

Draco breathed in the scent of Harry, the pine, as he leaned away from Harry's face. Now he hopes Harry gets the message he's been trying to get across. He gives Harry's other cheek a little caress and turns around, making his way down to the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry just stood there, and he cupped his cheek that Draco kissed and chuckled a little. It was sweet what Draco did, but he doesn't know why he did such a thing. When thinking back in time a little to the day where he saw a heart doodled with his name in the middle on Draco's work during Herbology, he pondered if it was true. That Draco liked him. But who would even like him? A freak who's enslaved by his own family. A freak who cuts himself. Shaking away those dark thoughts in his mind, he decided to head to Gryffindor common room. He found Hermione in that very spot he always finds her, and he walks up to her with a smile. "Hello, Hermione!"

"Well, look who's come back," said Hermione with her own smile, glad she could see a smile on Harry's face again. It's quite a rare thing to see honestly. "I'm afraid to ask how detention was if it gave you a smile. Or you are just happy because you're out of detention."

Harry sits down on the other armchair and sighs happily, leaning his back against the back of the armchair. "Draco kissed me, Hermione, and twice," He decides to admit since she already knows of his liking towards the blonde, and the secret friendship. He practically tells her everything that he can about his day with Draco without telling her too much information.

Hermione just blinked at him. She was excited for her best friend and she actually began to cry. "It's about damn time, Harry," she tells him earnestly and wiping away her crocodile tears. "I honestly love hearing this, Harry. So, how was it?"

"It was incredible!" Harry says in a dreamy-like voice, making Hermione giggle because of how lovestruck he seems. "He made me feel so many things at once. I felt so warm inside, those butterflies were filling up my stomach and my heart... it was beating like a mini drum."

"Oh, Harry, that's beautiful to hear," Hermione says sweetly and cups her mouth, hiding her smile as her face begins to hurt from smiling too much. "Wait... was this a cheek or lip kiss?"

"He kissed my cheek," said Harry and looked up at the ceiling of the common room, remembering the feel of Draco's warm lips on his cheek. It felt so natural and he misses the feel. He sighs again and closes his eyes, remembering the last hour he spent with Draco.

And while he did just that, Draco had entered the Slytherin common room and found Ivy and Pansy at the back of the common room chatting. He walked over to them feeling proud of himself and tapped them on the shoulder. As the two girls turned around, he said, "I kissed Harry, guys."

Both girls stood up immediately out of excitement and started jumping up and down, squealing. Then they looked at each other and embraced each other in a hug. "Oh my god!"

"Most importantly was it on the cheek or on the lips?" asked Ivy who stopped her girlish squirming easily and replaced it with a single smile. She feels so glad, like a mother who watched her child progress in a school subject and gets the highest grade.

"It was on the cheek," Draco said and to his disappointment, both girls groaned and sank back into their seats with long sighs. "What? It's what I could only do! I couldn't just go up to him, kiss him, then walk off."

"At least it's something other than nothing," said Pansy and she looked to her side at Ivy, who nodded in agreement. "Did you at least say anything to him like... about your feelings for him?"

Draco sighs and tells them as much as he remembers telling Harry in the last half an hour and so. It didn't take long and by the end of it, both girls were in tears. He doesn't understand girls at all. With another sigh, he decides to go up to the boy's dormitory and tell Blaise about his evening too.


	10. Potions and Help from a friend

Harry had just come into the Gryffindor common room after coming back from Defense Against the Dark Arts and he saw a small group of students gathered around two first-year muggle-born siblings. He believes their names are Mike and Savannah Adwell. He went over towards the group and noticed the two muggle-borns were making the group of students ranging from other first ears to prefects amazed. But what were they doing?

Taking a closer look, Harry saw Mike show the group a muggle penny and gesture a young third-year half-blood witch with toffee brown hair forward with a little wave of his hand. The girl stepped forward, clearly confused, and amazed at these two younger Gryffindor's could make items disappear without using wands.

"With this penny," said Mike, smirking at all his fellow Gryffindor's surprised expressions. "I'll make it disappear. Watch closely, everyone." He held the palm of his hand out and placed the penny on his lifeline. He placed his other hand over his open one and then closed them together. Giving his closed hands a little shake, he blew into them and opened his hands up, showing the crowd his simple magic trick. "Walla! Vanished! But where?"

All the Gryffindor's were leaning a little closer to him, wanting to find out what happened to the odd-looking coin that they know was not made from the Goblins at Gringotts. Mike reached behind the older girl's ear who stood in front of him and pulled out the penny from there. Everyone gasped in shock and the girl checked behind her own ears for more of those Pennies.

"That was incredible!"

"How did you do that!"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," said Mike and he bows to the crowd. Everyone starts clapping and cheering for the young boy. Harry knew about this kind of magic Mike was doing. It was muggle magic of course. He didn't even know how to do that Penny trick even without magic. Sometimes he wonders if muggles can learn magic. Just not the wizarding kind of magic.

"How the hell can you a first-year make that...thing disappear when you don't even learn disappearing spells until the third year!" said the Gryffindor Prefect, Timothy Miller, in absolute shock after watching these two perform magic that they shouldn't be able to do until later on. "This is impossible! We're you taught by an older student?"

"No, none of that," said Mike with a shake of his head. He was laughing on the inside from these students who knew nothing about secret pockets. "It's called magic, yes. But not this type of magic." Then he turned back to the students he was entertaining. "Now, who would like to like to see another magic trick?"

"Yes!" someone squealed from the group of students.

"YES, PLEASE!"

Savannah smiled and reached into her book bag to pull out two fuzzy small red balls the size of a chicken egg. She gave it to her brother and said, "Can we please have two volunteers? Anyone will do. We only need two."

Everyone raised their hands, which made it a little hard for Mike and Savannah to choose. Eventually, they decided on the Prefect and Gemma Wilson, a sixth year with golden brown coloured hair. "Timothy, hold this red ball in your palm please," said Savannah. "And Gemma, do the same."

"Squeeze the balls tightly in your palms," said Mike, and he and his sister watched as Gemma and Timothy closed the palm of their hands around the red balls. "Good." Then he clasped his hands together and gave them a little shake. He opened them and a squishy red ball appeared in his hands. Everyone's eyes widened at the trick. "Keep them closed," he told them. He slapped his palms together and rubbed them over Timothy and Gemma's hands then opened his palms. The red ball was gone.

Savannah chuckled and waved a hand over and under Gemma's palms. "Now open your palms, Gem." Gemma did as she was told and squealed as she saw no red ball in her hands at all. Just then, Timothy opened his palms and all three balls appeared in his hands.

"No, this cannot be happening," said Timothy and his mouth fell open slightly. He shook his head, not wanting to believe this at all. "This just... no! How the hell... Is there a new spell you came up with or something?"

"Nope," said Savannah and Mike who both grinned. After Timothy gave the two back the red balls, Savannah reached into her robe pocket, taking out a yellow-blue ball which Harry only saw, and threw it to the ground. Thick yellow and blue smoke rose up from where Savannah and Mike were and everyone in the room was just stunned at what they witnessed. When the fog vanished, Savannah and Mike were gone.

Harry had no idea what he just saw. It was muggle magic but in Hogwarts. How did those two do all that? It seemed impossible without a wand. Sighing, he decides to go find Hermione and Ron since they did go off to lunch without him half an hour ago.

Just as he was about to exit the common room, he spots two girls sitting together with a bloody grey laptop in between each other that has a sticker of the tv show F.R.I.E.N.D.S on the back of the laptop in the centre. He was just so confused right now. "Um... hello?" He decides to ask them about that laptop and why they have it here.

The two girls look up at him, and one of them with short shoulder-length blonde hair hits the space button which Harry then knew they were watching something on the laptop. "Hello," said the blonde, smiling at him. The curly chestnut-haired girl didn't respond, she just nodded.

"What are you watching?" Harry asks them. It was a very strange and unfamiliar question to him. He doesn't even ask Dudley what he watches on his laptop in his room. He never gets to use Dudley's laptop, obviously, and he doesn't want to.

The chestnut-haired girl turns the laptop around so Harry could view it, but he couldn't exactly see what the tv show was. "It's Doctor Who," she says and presses down on the space button again, playing the episode.

Harry watches as the Tardis comes into view and he just loses it. He hasn't seen Doctor Who in so long! He's actually never allowed to watch tv, but when the Dursleys are all out he has that chance. "Oh, I've seen this show."

"Really?" asks the blonde with a wide grin full of excitement, and Harry nods. "What season are you up to? Who's your favourite doctor?" The questions just keep coming and Harry could only answer One at a time.

"I've only seen the first and second season, unfortunately," Harry told them a little sadly and rubbed at his cheek with his palm. He sighed, wishing he had a life. He's missing out on so much right now. "And I guess my favourite doctor would be the eleventh doctor."

"Oh, my goodness, same!" said the chestnut-haired girl and she bumped shoulders with her friend. "I'm Zoe by the way. And this is Chelsea. We know we really should be doing our Muggle studies homework, but we pretty much know everything and use that time to catch up on some Doctor Who."

Harry nodded, and he knew if Hermione was here, she would be scolding them. But he understands these girls. He just never found any use in Muggle studies, and he really didn't want anything to do with muggles when he came to Hogwarts. "I guess I don't need to introduce myself then as everyone knows who I am. So, what else have you little rascal muggle-borns been up to?"

"Some of us have figured out we can cheat in every test just by using Morse Code if we know it," said Chelsea, smirking. Beside her, Zoe was snickering. "Oh, and we pass notes in Tolkien Elvish since none of the professors understands it."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at this generation of muggle-born students and a few Half-bloods. How come nobody in his grade is doing such a thing? "You cheeky little buggers, doing stuff so smartly but yet so sneaky."

Zoe just grinned innocently and turned the computer around to get back into watching the episode of Doctor Who with her friend. "If you'll excuse us, we have an episode to finish before lunch ends," she says just as Chelsea nods and looks down at the screen. "See you later, Harry."

"Yes, goodbye," said Harry and he forces a smile at them as he walks away. That was just... interesting. What did he witness this time? First two kids making pennies and little red balls disappear. Now students on laptops and possibly phones? He actually couldn't wait until he comes across whatever comes next.

*****

_Harry was soaring through the sky on an owl, feeling the wind in his hair, the cold breeze on his face, it was like flying on a broom, but bumpier. The owl was zooming him straight to what looked like a house, next to a spooky-looking graveyard that looks like it's thousands of years old. Harry feels like he's been there before. As the owl dived down, gliding through a broken window, Harry saw what looked like a gigantic snake, a weird warty looking man, an older man who appears to be a muggle, a middle-aged man crouching beside a chair with what looked like a baby covered in black drapes. The baby looked absolutely horrible, it was the ugliest thing he'd ever laid eyes on, then he realized it could talk. Harry couldn't quite hear what the baby thing was saying, but the next thing he saw was a flash of green light. ___

____

Harry woke up, yet again from another nightmare, only this nightmare had been a little bit clearer than the others. He tried to calm his breathing down, nothing really was helping but he knew what he had to do. His bed sheets were soaked in his sweat. Who knew someone could sweat so much? He shakily grabbed his glasses off the bedside table and adjusted them on his nose.

____

"Morning," Ron said sleepily, sitting up and was wiping the sleep from his eyes. He had a lot of things on his mind right now and his best mates state was one of them. Last night he saw Harry come into the dorm all happy and joyful but now... he just looks extremely unhappy. It's like something inside the room sucked out all the happiness out of Harry.

____

"Good m-morning, Ron," Harry said reluctantly, his eyes blinking infrequently, and he was sitting on the end of his bed. These nightmares always scared him, in fact, they scarred him. Harry could never get rid of these nightmares, they just come out of nowhere.

____

Ron stretched out his arms and his legs in bed and yawned. "You didn't come down for lunch or dinner yesterday, the day before and even a few other days ago," he said and looked around the room at his other dormmates. "Why is that?" Then it hit him. Dementors! They suck the happiness out of you, but the thing is he didn't see any dementors inside.

____

"I guess I was very sleepy and needed some rest," Harry talked in a soft-spoken voice, managing to sluggishly get up off his bed and walked towards the window closest to Ron to look out to the morning sun and everything below him that included trees, the forest, birds flapping around.

____

"Alrighty then," said Ron and another yawn escaped from his mouth. He knew that if there were dementors present in the castle Dumbledore would ought to know, wouldn't he? How about the other professors? They would know if it too so what was he worrying about?

____

"I'm going to go down to the Great Hall early," Harry mumbled and his shoulders curled forward as he just felt so worthless this morning. He sluggishly walked towards the door to the exit of the boy's dormitory, just wanting to be alone. Why must this happen to him?

____

"I'll wait until I'm fully awake and wait for these two sleepyheads to also wake up before I head down to breakfast," said Ron as he looked at the sleeping Neville, Seamus, and Dean. He had the urge to throw his pillow at the three boys just to wake them up. It was a wonderful thought actually.

____

"I'll see you in class then," Harry said emotionlessly as he exited the room. He didn't go down to the Great Hall; he went down to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom because it's the only place he feels safe at. He spelled the tin open and grabbed his metal friend, making five cuts on his arm and immediately felt the sudden wave of numbness overwhelm him. He watched his blood drip down for about a minute until he felt satisfied enough and cleaned his arm up. He placed his metal friend back in the tin, spelled it shut and placed it back on the shelf inside the cupboard. A nice walk around the castle will surely do him some good.

____

It was such a beautiful day at Hogwarts, the school had just started only months ago, the Tri-Wizard Tournament had come to Hogwarts. So far, Harry had finished the first tournament, and how that day was probably the most frightening thing he had ever gone through. He sure as hell, was near an Anxiety attack whenever he woke up from a nightmare, even thinking of that day, scared him.

____

Although, the only part of that day he liked was when Draco kissed him. It was twice in one day that the kiss happened, and he loved it. Whenever he would see Draco in class or the corridors of Hogwarts, his mind and thoughts would go directly to that memory of the kiss and how it made him feel. The kiss was like a Patronus. It pushed away the dark thoughts for a while and replaced them with positive feelings.

____

Harry was still trying to figure out the clue to the golden egg. He wondered if breakfast was finished, since he was going towards the Great Hall for breakfast but got himself lost in his own deep depressing thoughts.

____

He walked by one of the large windows of the Gryffindor tower. Sighing to himself, Harry couldn't help but think of the Dursleys, how they didn't feed him as much as he normally gets fed and how Uncle Vernon had gotten more... mean and rude these past years. He wondered if he was alone in this suffering or if it's only him, 'The Golden Boy', 'The-Boy-Who-Lived', 'The-boy-who could-not-die'. Slowly he started making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

____

"Hey, Potter!" yelled Draco Malfoy from down a corridor. He smiled and began jogging up to his friend from Gryffindor House. His only Gryffindor friend still but he plans to keep it that way. He doesn't think he wants any other Gryffindor friends actually. Harry's enough.

____

Harry turned around and was face to face with his friend, but also secretly his crush. "Hello, Draco," he said and blushed slightly as the Slytherin was quite close to him. The best part about having Draco here was how he made him feel. It's like being blessed with warmth and a presence that makes him feel loved. "Whatever happened to using my first name, Draco?"

____

"Um, never mind that..." Draco said and rubbed the side of his neck a little awkwardly. Why was he here actually? Did he have something to say? Yes, he did. He had to ask Harry out and to the Yule Ball. "I guess it is, so I don't draw attention to myself for calling you 'Harry'.

____

"Oh, okay," said Harry, and he lowered his gaze a little to look at the floor. He caught sight of Draco's shiny black shoes and gave a little smile. "That makes sense." He looked back up into silver eyes that seemed to shine whenever Draco blinked. It almost took his breath away.

____

"Bye!" Draco said with a slight blush, petting Harry under the chin and quickly walked off. Merlin, that was a little embarrassing. He couldn't even work up the courage to ask him out! How pathetic!

____

Harry just stared at Draco, still not knowing why he'd just come up and say 'Hi' then say 'Bye' and leave. He then caught himself staring at the blonde Slytherin's butt and liking how it moves as he walks. He sighs and decides to head to breakfast like he would have done. It's nice to see Draco come and go though.

____

The next time Harry saw Draco was only a minute ago as he was halfway to the Great Hall. "Hello, again." Draco smiled and immediately linked arms with him but kept an eye out for their surroundings.

____

"Hello, Harry," he says as they walked together to the Great Hall. "Sorry about earlier. How was your night? Did you get enough sleep?" The questions just seemed to pop out of his mouth every three seconds.

____

"My night was fine, yes, and I got a decent amount of sleep," said Harry and he jammed his hands into his pockets, wanting to pull his hoodie over his head to block out the rest of the world but Draco was there. It wasn't a bad thing that Draco was here, of course, but the Slytherin would always tell him to not hide from the world and Harry would try for him.

____

Draco frowned a little from the obvious lie Harry was telling him, and it hurt but he knew it would be hard for Harry to talk about what he goes through with people. He gets it because Ivy's been the same too. It took her time to open up and she let Draco into her mind slowly and carefully. He knows about the lies and the tricks thanks to Ivy. "Okay. So... are we still going to walk into the Great Hall distanced or should we come out to everyone about our friendship?"

____

Harry shrugged and stopped a few meters away from the Great Hall, giving them both time to decide. "I don't mind at all," he says but unlinked arms with the blonde Slytherin, though he wanted to be closer to him. "It all depends on you, Draco. Are you ready for your father to hear about our secret friendship or do you want to wait a little longer?"

____

That was the question Draco has been asking himself a lot lately. Does he want his father knowing? Maybe he should talk to his friends about this first, and Professor Snape. The professor is his godfather after all. "I'll wait for a little while, sorry Harry."

____

Harry just waved a lazy hand of dismissal at him. "It's okay," he tells him earnestly with a sigh. "I should go. Hermione and Ron would be worried about me."

____

That sentence concerned Draco. "Why would they be worried?" He decides to ask, but he feels as if he shouldn't have said that. He hoped Harry wouldn't think negatively of what he said. "Weren't you with them at all this morning? Where could you have been?" He knows he's asking too many questions right now, but he needs to know this information.

____

When Harry wasn't answering his questions but looking down at the floor, Draco sighs and reaches for Harry's hands. "Harry, I don't mind if I have to repeat myself over and over but you need to hear me out when I say you are loved by so many people around you." That made Harry look up at him, but a little slowly. "Yes, Harry. You are. You just don't see it. And it's not your fans that I'm talking about. It's your best friends Weasel and Granger. Me as well, and our professors. We're all your family and we love you... I love you, Harry." By then he had tears in his eyes. It was the three words that got him the most.

____

Harry let the butterflies within him flutter and his heart hammer against his chest like it wanted to come out and escape. "Draco," he said and reached his hand up to wipe away the tear that decided to fall down the Slytherin's cheek. It hurt to see Draco crying even if he wasn't in pain. The tears reminded him of stunning diamonds glimmering in the sunlight. "I love you too, and I know others love me. Why I know this is because you keep telling me. Thank you-" He spots Blaise Zabini walk out of the Great Hall. "I-I um, I need to go. Goodbye, Draco!"

____

He rushes off as Draco says, "Bye, Harry!" Draco smiled and walked over to Blaise who he then spots near the entrance to the Great Hall. Was Harry actually afraid of Blaise finding out? He didn't need to be afraid though as Blaise knows of the secret friendship.

____

*****

____

Harry climbed the stairs out of the kitchen with Hermione and Ron. He couldn't believe that Dobby and Winky were working in the Hogwarts kitchens. Hermione was excitedly talking about S.P.E.W. and how if Dobby could be paid it would open the doors to house-elf rights. Harry was paying no attention to her, his mind was focused on his depression, Draco, and the next task even if it was a fair while away.

____

*****

____

As Harry approached Ron and Hermione at the Great Hall for breakfast, he couldn't help but glance over at Draco as he sat down facing the other House tables. Harry faked a smile at everyone in Gryffindor, grabbed a piece of toast, spread some Biscoff onto it and slowly began to eat it even though he knew he'd most likely puke it out after a while. He started to zone out, staring blankly at the Slytherin Table, forgetting his eyes were transfixed on Draco.

____

"Harry!" Hermione said quietly and hit him gently on the hand, trying to get Harry's attention. God, if he keeps up this staring at the Slytherin table she's going to have to sit next to Ginny. "You're staring."

____

Harry turned his head a little to face his bushy-haired friend but only half-listened to her. "What?" he said blankly and came back into reality. He'd been so distracted by Draco that he only half heard what she said.

____

"Harry, you keep staring at Malfoy," Hermione said with a knowing smile. Oh, if only she had a camera on her so she can just video Harry staring at Malfoy multiple times. It would be in a scrap Album for Harry in the future.

____

Harry couldn't think properly, he was still so anxious about how he managed to survive the other day. He really didn't want anything to disturb him today, he's already been through so much in his entire life. Then again, Harry started zoning back out, not knowing he was staring at Draco again.

____

"Hey Potter, like what you see?" Draco asked with a smirk on his lips. He had to say something if the Slytherins had noticed that Harry was staring over at him. To his disliking, Ivy nudged him hard in the ribs, leaving him glaring at her.

____

Hermione shook her head and sighed, wondering how this friendship between Harry and Malfoy even works. "Ignore him, Harry," she told him quietly so nobody else could hear her. "He's just... you know, acting."

____

Harry crossed his arms over the table and leaned his head on his arms, wishing he had free reign to go over to the Slytherin table and sit down with Draco. He wants it to happen though. "He's damn well good at it," he mumbled and questioned why he even exists if his life is just full of mistakes.

____

Ron saw the familiar expression on his best mate's face and turned his head around to face Draco. "Shove off, Malfoy!" he said in a harsh tone and glared at him.

____

Draco remembered a month ago, making the truce with Harry. He can't insult the Weasley or Granger anymore, so he tried his best not to. Which turned out badly. "Oh my, there's no need for that bad tone Ronald!" He tried to mimic Mrs Weasley. Crabbe and Goyle were snickering at his "Funny" joke. Then he noticed that it wasn't a very funny joke.

____

Harry could see his ginger friend's ears and cheeks go red with anger as Draco rudely impersonated his own mother. At least he has a mother, Harry thought to himself sadly with a sniff. One that gives him love and attention, one who feeds him. He began to frown deeper and his shoulders drooped. He felt the need to go somewhere alone and get his little friend out.

____

Draco saw the very familiar frown appear on Harry's face and frowned himself. Did he go too far with the insults? Surely not. He was just mimicking Weasel's mother, which he believes he did a pretty good job on.

____

"C'mon guys," Hermione whispered and she lowered her brow, ready to defend Harry mentally if something got out of hand. "Let's get ready for Potions."

____

Ron couldn't believe what she had said. He hasn't even eaten anything decent yet! "But we have like... an hour until Potions!" he exclaimed with a frown and quickly gathers a piece of bread onto his plate and butters it. "Can't we just... I don't know, eat?" Hermione shook her head at him a little ignorantly.

____

Like every morning at Hogwarts, the owls flew in and delivered mail. Harry saw his own white snowy owl flew into the Great Hall and land gracefully on the table with a familiar black envelope, as well as another small letter from Draco. "Thanks, Hedwig," he mumbled and stuffed the envelope in his robe pocket for later. He was about to read over Draco's letter, but Hermione interrupted his thoughts.

____

Hermione was curious about who sent Harry a letter. She raised an eyebrow in question at him and squinted her eyes to try and get a better look at the envelope. It didn't have any initials on it though. "Harry, is that from Padfoot?"

____

Harry sighed; might as well tell her or she'll become more curious about whose been sending him letters throughout the year. "Yes, it is from Sirius," he said with a little nod and shows her the envelope. "I've been talking to him since the start of school, just about how I'm doing and the tasks and about a someone you know and my liking for him."

____

Hermione didn't see the obvious sadness in her friend's expression and smiled at him knowingly. She knew it. Harry's been talking about Malfoy to Sirius. "So, Sirius knows about him?" Harry nodded slightly.

____

"I see," Hermione said and her smile slowly builds. "You know, I have a muggle textbook you can use with him. Whenever you want you can write to each other and send Hedwig or his owl the textbook to either one of you. I think it will be much easier than having to search for spare pieces of paper yourself."

____

Harry nodded, liking the idea. He doesn't like using his own parchment except for schoolwork. "Sure, just get Ron to give it to me or place it on my bed for me," he said flatly, and Hermione nodded as she continued eating her breakfast. Harry then read over the note from Draco.

____

Want to practice potions again? Even though I know you've done an amazing job this year. If not Potions, how about flying again after dinner?

____

Harry looked up at the Slytherin table and locked eyes with Draco. Even if he was reluctant to give him an answer, he nodded and knew that he should thank him for the compliment. Draco nodded and smiled back.

____

Suddenly, the Hufflepuff table goes quiet and all Harry could hear was "He got a Howler!" He pondered what kind of message and how humiliated this Hufflepuff person would be. He and a lot of other Gryffindor's look behind them at the Hufflepuff table, catching sight of an older Hufflepuff bloke who looks a little Latino with his hands covering his face and a Howler on the table in front of him. Beside the bloke was Cedric who was rubbing his back.

____

The Hufflepuff boy sighed and dropped his hands from his face to pick up the Howler. He started ripping it open slowly, but like a raging animal wanting to come out of its cage, the Howler ripped itself open and began speaking. Well, it began to sing loudly.

____

"SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD IS GOING TO ROLL ME!"

____

A roar of laughter around the Great Hall broke loose, and a few students began to sing the rest of the song. Harry looked around the Hall, seeing Hermione and Dean laughing, and further down the Gryffindor table Mike, Zoe, Savannah, and Chelsea were all singing the rest of the song too. A few Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins sang too. Harry knew that the laughing and singing students were Muggle-borns and Half-bloods.

____

Hermione had just stopped laughing and wiped a tear of joy from her eyes. "Oh, I feel so sorry for that poor Hufflepuff," she said gently with a little giggle. "All Star's an amazing song but what about Girl in Red – Girls? Or Party Rock Anthem, Evacuate the Dancefloor, et cetera."

____

"Oh my god, Hermione," said Dean with a chuckle, seeing as he agreed with her. "Yes! But don't forget about Achy Breaky Heart, The Final Countdown and Country Roads. Those are must-haves!"

____

"Yeah," said Harry with a nod, trying to seem as excited he was only a second ago. "Those songs would be nice too." He looked over at Draco and noticed he looked a little confused and was whispering to his cousin. Ivy just seemed so eager and happy. She looked as if she was even singing the song but quietly.

____

"Isn't 'The Final Countdown' what ye introduced me to?" Seamus asked him as he remembers going to a large concert with Dean that had glowing lights and loud music. He thought he would go death after the first song.

____

"Yup," said Dean, popping the 'p' and squeezing Seamus' hand from under the table. With his free hand, he pushed his bacon and egg burger around on his plate. "I could really go for an Mc Donald's pancake breakfast right now." Hermione agreed with him by nodding while Harry just wonders what an Mc Donald's pancake tastes like. He's never had anything like that. Dudley just gets anything he wants really.

____

Then Harry made eye contact with Draco, and Draco smiled and shrugged, looking like he had no idea what was going on. Harry didn't really know either. What was the point of that message or was it just for fun? He shrugged back at Draco and looked back at Hermione who was eating her scrambled eggs.

____

Minutes later, Harry felt the breakfast he ate coming back up. He decided that he definitely needed to bleed out his emotions and puke out his stomach. As he got up from his seat, Harry had noticed a familiar-looking girl sitting a few people away from Draco. Although, Ivy wasn't smiling much. She was frowning deeply, and her eyes looked very... glossy, like she'd just been crying.

____

Draco saw Harry staring at his fellow Slytherin, who's also his cousin, and tried to hold down a jealous blush from his cheeks. God... Even if he knows Harry's not interested in any girls, it still makes him a little jealous.

____

Harry winked at Draco, even though Draco was the one who winks the most, but he loved seeing the reaction he got. Draco's cheeks turned to a rosy colour, which Harry thought and knew was downright beautiful.

____

Hermione turned to look up at Harry who looked as if he wanted to leave. But what she wanted to know was why he wanted to leave. "Where are you going, Harry?" she asked him, and her brows furrowed curiously. "Class doesn't start until an hour later."

____

"I know," said Harry with a heavy sigh and he jams his hands into the pockets of his robes. For once he wishes to be ignored so he can rush to the bathroom and rid his stomach of his breakfast. "I just want to... err, read alone."

____

Hermione nodded, thinking she knows exactly how Harry felt because she also wanted to read the last chapters of 'The Maze Runner'. She was nearly finished and had about five more chapters to go. Then after that, she will start some of the Agatha Christie novels.

____

"But mate, you've only nibbled on your toast," said Ron who looked a little worried at the little amount of food his best mate consumed. Not only the food but he was worried for his best mate who he knows doesn't eat much. "Aren't you hungry?"

____

Harry shook his head. "I will stop at the kitchens on my way there," he told them and that indeed was another lie that he told. He then turned and made his way back to Gryffindor Tower.

____

As Harry exited the Grand Hall he zoned out, thinking about the last time Uncle Vernon punished him. He remembered how much it hurt, the sting of the belt as it hit his skin. It was like a snake attacking him, striking at his back. Harry flinched at the memory. It was like he was re-living the punishment, feeling the belt hit him repeatedly. Hearing Uncle Vernon telling him he's not getting any food for a week. Before he knew it, he was directly in front of the Lat Lady's portrait.

____

Harry muttered the password and slowly walked inside the portrait, letting his feet guide him towards Moaning Myrtles Bathroom. He walked into the bathroom, it was dim-lit, and the sun shone through the windows. He rushed into one of the stalls and closed the door. He leaned over the toilet seat and felt his breakfast rush out of him into the bowl of the toilet. Once it was all in the toilet, he grabbed a square of toilet paper and wiped his mouth with it.

____

Harry walked up to the sinks and turned the tap on, filling his mouth with water, swishing it around, gurgling it and spitting it back out into the sink. The taste of his vomit slowly exited him and that was the only thing he was glad of. He repeated the process again but swallowed the water. Grabbing his tin containing his little sharp friends from inside the cupboard, he spelled the lid open, tipped the tin upside down and let the blade fall into his hand.

____

Harry grabbed the blade and laid his arm over the sink. He rolled his sleeve up over his elbow and scanned his arms, remembering every cut that lay on his arm that he did over the holidays and at Hogwarts. He placed the blade on his arm, shivering at the coldness of the blade. The coldness of the blade was nice on his arm though. He then sliced the blade across his wrist and watched as a line of blood formed where the blade crossed and watched as droplets of blood fell down on the sink like rain droplets. He again sliced the blade around his forearm, watching another line of blood form. He slid the blade across his arm again and again until he had five cuts in total. He started feeling a bit light on his feet like he could just float through a wall like Myrtle.

____

Harry rinsed the blade under the water, placed it back in his tin and spelled it shut. He then cleaned his arm off, hissing in pain as the cold water ran over his freshly made cuts. I feel empty, he thought. Good, I like this feeling. He rolled down his sleeves past his hands and put his tin back in the cupboard, closed it and headed to his first class of the day. Potions. But before he could make it out the door, he remembered the envelope Sirius had sent him earlier. He reached into his robe pocket and grabbed the envelope. Even though his arm stung he still managed to open the envelope and read the letter with shaky hands.

____

_Harry,_

__

____

__

_I am terribly sorry for returning this late. Yes, you have endearing fans but there are still people out there to get you. Like Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Of course, Voldemort hasn't risen again and thank Merlin for that but there are still many death eaters out there who would want you dead for killing their 'lord'. I'm glad you have a love for this boy. He sounds wonderful no matter if his parents are death eaters or not. Kissing Draco in front of Snivellius? Please do, I'd love to see his reaction. Perhaps ask that Colin boy to take pictures? Make sure that if you and Draco do decide to start a romantic relationship keep it hidden, you don't know what his parents would do to him if they ever found out that their son is gay and dating you. The only people you can trust right now is Hermione and Ron, stick by their sides as you would stick with them. Dragons?! Are they trying to kill all of you?! Merlin's Beard! What you did out in the ring, was very impressive. If I had enough time to send you a letter before the first task, I would have recommended you using a conjunctivitis curse. It's the best way to distract a dragon because the eyes are the weakest point. Don't feel complacent yet, you've only done one task. Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual or about Draco if you wanted to ramble on about how amazing he is. That's what your father did in the common room back in our days at Hogwarts. And yes, it got to the point where we just wanted to jinx him with a jelly leg jinx until he stops. ___

____

__

____

____

____

__

____

_Sirius ___

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

Harry sighed and folded the letter back into the envelope and placed it back into his robe pocket. He loved how Sirius was so accepting of his sexuality and his crush on Draco, he honestly thought Sirius would shout at him and tell him to never speak to Draco again. That would be depressing, not being able to talk to the person who you secretly have feelings for. Harry got up and made his way down to Potions, he knew he wouldn't be late as he left the Great Hall 10 minutes into Breakfast. Though he didn't really care if he was late.

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

Harry entered the Potions classroom and he walked over and sat next to Ron. Ron gave him a little pat on the shoulder and a smile which Harry forced a smile back at him. He noticed Draco sitting over with all the Slytherins. If he wasn't feeling so numb, he'd so wanted to sit next to him.

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

Draco caught Harry staring and winked, but Harry didn't blush, he just turned back to Weasley. He frowned as usually, he would see this adorable red tinge form on Harry's cheeks when he winked at him. It didn't happen. Draco knew something was up. Whenever he'd talk to Ivy about her crush on Lavender Brown she'd blush, but when he knew she was feeling depressed or had just cut she'd never blush. This was just making sense now, but he didn't want to believe that Harry could be depressed.

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

Harry really didn't want to be here. Escaping was something he wanted to do but he had to stay and suffer in an hour of Potions. He wanted to be alone, to be someplace where nobody could find him. In a loud 'Thud' the Potions Classroom Door shut, that could only mean that Snape has entered.

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

Harry sighed and grabbed his quill and parchment from his bag. This was not a day for him to be in class. All he wanted was sleep but that's something he's not able to achieve. He then got caught in an episode from back at the Dursleys.

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

____

_____ _

_Aunt Petunia was shouting the name freak at him. Uncle Vernon's hand raised, ready to strike. Aunt Petunia was shouting at him. Telling him that freaks don't deserve hugs. Freaks don't deserve to have parents or to be loved. Uncle Vernon was shouting at him, saying how he is nothing but a waste of space, a burden to anyone he crosses paths with! ___

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

Snape really did enter the class, his dark robes flowing behind him until he got to the front of the class. "Good evening, class." He said in his monotoned voice that frightened poor souls like Neville and first years. "Today, we'll be focusing on more difficult potions."

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

"I want to know where each and every one of you occupy on my list of best students to worst," Snape said and looked over at Harry who was staring absentmindedly somewhere in front of the classroom. "Mr Potter, please tell me what Amortentia is, won't you?"

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

Hermione raised her hand up in the air quickly.

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

Harry looked up at the Professor blankly. He was overwhelmed by all these negative thoughts rushing through his head, he couldn't help but itch at his scars on his arm from under his sleeve just to get a little boost from the pain. Another flash of his past pulled him away from the present.

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_______ _ _ _

_He was eight, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were bright green and teary from pain. He had just got in trouble for talking to Dudley. Dudley screamed at him and started crying to his mom. Aunt Petunia shouted at him for disturbing her baby with his freaky ways. ___

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Snape scoffed at his student and his terrible knowledge. Even Lily knew of the potion. "It appears you have not read page 343, Mr Potter. Perhaps Miss Granger can answer my question?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry just scratched harder at his cuts from under his sleeves. He really wanted to just disappear and hideaway up in Gryffindor Tower or down in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Or, perhaps, in the Chamber of secrets. Nobody would dare go down there to find him. It was actually a pretty good idea; it is just the memory of the basilisk would haunt him down there. To see the flesh of the giant snake, and possibly the stench of its rotten flesh.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Hermione smiled and lowered her hand. "Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world," she told the class even though not many people were listening. "It is distinctive for its mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from the potion in spirals. Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them the most. However, it is illegal to ferment so I have no idea why we're allowed to brew it."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked over at Draco with a fake smile, but he didn't know why he chose that moment to look at the blonde Slytherin. He was just mesmerized by the blonde Slytherin's appearance. Draco returned a smile and looked down at his desk, wondering why Harry chose to look at him right after the 'know it all' had explained the potion.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Snape kept the sneer on his face, he still pondered how in Salazar's name Mr Potter was Lily's son. After all, Lily was very good with Potions. "Very good Ms Granger," he said coolly. "1 Point to Gryffindor!" He turned back to his class. "Now, turn to page 343. You will be brewing Amortentia."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Everyone turned to the required page in their Potions book without hesitation. Snape walked over to his desk and sat down, grabbing his quill, and dipped it in the black ink. "Please start making your Potions, you have an hour to do so."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Everyone started making their potions, but Harry and Draco couldn't help but glance at one another every once in a while.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron saw his best mate becoming distracted with who knows what and nudged him on the arm. Unfortunately, Harry's freshly cuts were where he touched him, but he didn't know. "Harry?" he whispered softly. "You are going to help me, right?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry winced at the pain that came from when Ron nudged him on the arm. "Of course, Ron," he said as if nothing happened. Nothing happened though, and he kept telling himself that even if the burning pain in his arm distracted him even more. "What do the ingredients say we need?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron scanned the required page in his potions book at the ingredients and instructions. It all looked confusing to him. "It says here that we need Ashwinder wings, Rose thorns, Refined peppermint oil and Moonstone."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry sighed sadly; he really, really didn't want to be here. He wished he never woke up today in fact. "Are you going to get the ingredients, or shall I?" he asked but he gave his best mate a palpable look to say he wanted him to get the required ingredients.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron obviously knew that look and groaned. Why must he be the one to get it? He's the one with ginger hair! Silly excuse obviously but he tried to think of something. "Why me, mate?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Because you're closest to the ingredients storeroom," Harry muttered and he had a downcast countenance. It was true. Ron was closer to the ingredients storeroom than he was. In fact, why were they fighting over who's going to get the ingredients? It's just so childish.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Fine," Ron said with a devilish smile and he rubbed a hand self-consciously through his hair. Well, as devilish as a Gryffindor can get. "Next time it'll be you though."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Deal," Harry whispered with a flat emotionless tone and a frown, not really caring about that deal right now. It's a feature problem to deal with and he couldn't be bothered to even think about it. He had a damn potion to brew, and he doesn't think he'll be doing too well with it.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry and Ron started making the potion, making sure they do it the best they could without stuffing it up as Snape walked around the room looking at everyone's potions. The potion's liquid turned into an orange and red colour and it emitted a scent of firewood. It wasn't too bad then.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"What a waste of time," Ron said with a long sigh and rubbed at his cheek. They did all that for nothing. At least he and Harry tried though, it's all that mattered. He then turned around on his seat and looked at the potion Hermione was brewing. "What do you smell?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Hermione looked up from her potion and raised an eyebrow. She stood on her tippy toes and looked down into Ron and Harry's potion. She sighed, seeing the potion had an incorrect colour. "I haven't finished it yet, Ron."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Oh," said Ron with a smile as he watched the slights ripples in the potion Hermione stirred her rod in. "Since we never completed ours, when you finish the potion can Harry and I have a smell? I know it's weird to ask but we would like to know what our lover smells like."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Sure, but once I finish this potion," said Hermione and quickly shooed him away from her desk. She didn't want to be distracted by her friends when brewing this potion that could give her extra credit. About a few minutes later she had finished, and she smiled at her work. "Okay, you can have a smell, but I get to have a smell first!" she said while pulling her hair back behind her neck and leaning down so she can get a good smell. "I can smell Roses, chocolate, green tea and strawberries. But there's this other smell that melts into the first one. So, I smell spearmint, freshly mown grass, and old parchment."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Are you going first, mate, or will it be me?" asked Ron as he turned back around and hopped off his chair. He rested his hands on the desk Hermione was working on and watched the little swirls rising up.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I guess I'll go then," said Harry with an unwilling shrug. He didn't care if he was the one who tests it out, he just wanted to know what his apparent true lover is even though he wished it to be the guy he's been crushing on for ages.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry watched the potion Hermione brewed, noticing there were small swirls rising from the liquid. He leant over and took a whiff of the smell which he smelt citrus, Quidditch, Treacle Tart, and vanilla. He didn't know who he was smelling but recognized the smells from somewhere. He tried to remember where he had last smelled the scents. The library's secret room. He was confused though, asking himself how the room could smell so amazing even if it was just that, a room.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

He began to wonder what Draco was smelling once he had finished the potion. He sighed sadly, thinking Draco probably smelt someone's expensive cologne or even roses. But Harry had to admit, roses were beautiful, elegant, and smelt quite nice. Draco was like a rose with his beauty, perfectionism, and... he doesn't remember what Draco smells like.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"So, what do you smell?" Ron asked curiously, obviously seeing his friend deep in thought with a weird look on his face. That weird look being depression, but he just didn't know what it was. This was new to him and everyone, finding out who your lover smells like.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry just said what he smelt. He didn't want to lie to anyone today though or he would just feel worse for doing so. "Citrus, Quidditch and Vanilla is what I smell. What do you smell, Ron?" He wondered what his best mate would smell in the potion. It would have to be a girl then since Ron hasn't shown any signs of liking guys. But then again, he hasn't seen Ron showing any interests in anyone at all.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron leant over the potion and got a whiff of the smells emitting from the potion. "I smell a musky sort of cologne, earl grey tea, red wine, a hint of old inks and dust, and a faint coppery smell," he told them, and his brow creased. "But there's this other aroma... Books, parchment, watermelon..."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Snape came over and inspected their cauldrons. He sneered at the boys failed attempt at a potion and walked away.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Write down what you smelt," Hermione ordered them quietly. It's better if they hand in something that's half a mark then they wouldn't exactly fail this potion. It was a hard potion to make and she can admit it. She nearly made a mistake but quickly corrected it earlier on when she was brewing this. Harry and Ron looked at each other with sad smiles, then began to write down what they actually smelt on their piece of parchment as instructed to by Hermione.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco looked over at Harry, knowing this potion was hard to brew. It was N.E.W.T. Level potion after all. He was so caught up in watching Harry, he remembered he hadn't finished his own potion. He shook his head and focused his attention back on the potion. He managed to finish the potion in a minute by adding the Refined Peppermint Oil and the moonstone.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

He leaned over to smell the potion. He smelt broomstick handles, Pine, a warm fireplace with marshmallows and Hot Chocolate. It took him a moment to realize where he smelt these certain scents from. Well, who he smelt the scents from. Harry Potter. He smiled warmly as he wrote what he smelt down on the piece of parchment. He began to wonder what Harry smelt in his cauldron, probably Quidditch or something sweet like honey.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry loves Quidditch as far as Draco knows, and he loves it too. It's probably why he smells it in the Amortentia. Pine tree scent? He doesn't know what Harry uses that scent for. Maybe his cologne or deodorant? Or shampoo and conditioner? He knows Harry's favourite food is Treacle Tart, the Gryffindor always has it for dessert. Not that he notices or anything... A warm fireplace with marshmallows and Hot Chocolate? Now, that sounds relaxing, no wonder Harry loves it too.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

After Potions with Snape, Harry went back to the Gryffindor common room alone. He was overwhelmed by the many thoughts rushing through his head, but it didn't help. Harry had the urge to go for a long walk to get rid of some negative thoughts he was feeling throughout Potions class.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

But as he made his way to Gryffindor Tower, he heard someone crying from Moaning Myrtles Bathroom. He curiously made his way down the stairs to the unused girl's bathroom; he heard the most amazing singing he'd ever heard in his life. Well, the only singing he's ever heard close to him instead of on tv or the radio. He didn't want to scare whoever was in there, so he just peeked around the corner of the arched doorway.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

That's when he saw the girl who he saw at the Slytherin table a couple of people away from Draco. The girl with the long black wavy hair and blue eyes. It was Ivy. Ivy was standing in front of the mirrors, both hands grabbed the sides of the sinks as she was rocking back and forwards and she was singing, "Y-you are b-beautiful, no matter w-what they say."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry knew this was a muggle song Ivy was singing though he doesn't remember who the artist to this song was. He couldn't think about this now because she was crying and looked as if she was in pain. Emotional pain, not physical. She needed help but what could he do?

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ivy pointed at her reflection and sobbed even more. "Words' can't bring you down. Oh no!" She placed her head in her hands and sobbed quietly. "You are nothing!" she told herself. "Don't listen to them. Voices. Don't listen! They will only bring you down!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked at her, seeing as she was in a lot of pain. Then suddenly he saw the most familiar sight and it was her wrists. They seemed to have blood dripping down from what looked like slits on her wrist. She's been cutting. He remembered seeing a news report on TV when Aunt Petunia was watching the news, a young teenage muggle girl was self-harming because her mother was a drunk addict, her father left her mother for some rich lady and the mother would beat the girl up whenever she was drunk.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry remembered that on the news, the girl suffered so much with her abusive mother and not knowing where her father was after the divorce. The news reporter said the girl committed suicide by the age of 15, the girl was one year older than himself.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked down at the floor, seeing a broken piece of a muggle shaving razor. He'd look up at Ivy who looked at her wrists with the many cuts amongst her wrists. She started singing again, "Y-you are b-beautiful, I-in every sing-le way. Y-yes words can't b-bring me down." She suddenly sat down on the floor, arms tucked around her legs, still crying her soul out.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

A few minutes later, Harry was still watching Ivy from the doorway. He wanted to help her, but he knew how it was like. He would rather be alone in Ivy's situation, whatever it was. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming towards him, he didn't think many girls used this bathroom, not since the first year and the poly juice potion.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Harry?" said a familiar voice from behind Harry. He knew that voice from the tip of his tongue. It belonged to the lips that kissed his cheek back on the day of the first task.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco suddenly appeared out from somewhere and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He never thought that Harry would even know his way down here but then again this is Gryffindor Tower. "What are you doing here, Harry?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I could say the same thing to you," said Harry who stared into Draco's silver eyes which reminded him so much of the shining moon. Apart from that, in the moonlight, he could see literal stars inside Draco's eyes. "This is the Gryffindor tower and a Gryffindor girl's bathroom, Draco. How did you even get inside?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Um... It's complicated," Draco answered, staring down at the floor, and trying not to look into Harry's emerald green eyes that he believes are magnificent. He doesn't want to give away how he got inside. Only he and Ivy know of the entrance.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry stared at him in disbelief, "Complicated?" How could it be complicated when all he needed to say was how he got inside without anyone knowing. It's not like he had to jump moving platforms that had lava underneath to get here. Or did he...?

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

There was a short moment of silence between the two boys. It was Draco who was trying to come up with something to say to answer Harry's question. "Sorry, Harry, but it's not your business." He hoped to Merlin that didn't sound too harsh. He just didn't want to tell Harry about what Ivy goes through.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I think it is my business as you're both Slytherins," said Harry with a flat look, his eyes narrowing a little. "How do you know the password and how did you sneak in without any of the other Gryffindor's finding out?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I have my ways, Harry," Draco said softly, now looking down at his feet again and finding something interesting in them. "Ivy's in her 6th year at Hogwarts if you didn't know. Apparently, you two met during the Quidditch cup."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Yeah, we did," said Harry as he distantly remembered what he and Ivy talked about. He remembers something to do with phones and Draco. "It was a nice chat. She's a nice girl." But what he asks himself is who her mother and father are. He doesn't know of any other Black family instead of the Purebloods. Wait... "Who's her mother and father if I may ask?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Ivy's mother is Willow LeStrange," said Draco and he looked into the bathroom at his crying cousin. He frowned a little at her state and wondered what happened. "The father is apparently Sirius Black." He knew Harry wouldn't believe that Sirius was a father. He was locked in Azkaban for... how long was it? 12 years? He didn't know, he never paid attention to the news when he was younger.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Sirius Black?" Harry asked and had to repeat that name in his head. "As in my godfather, Sirius Black?" He just couldn't believe it. He didn't think Sirius married anyone or started a family with them. By doing some quick math in his head, Sirius would have created Ivy when he was around 17 or younger.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

He's pretty good with math and nearly got the highest grade in primary school when he went there a few years ago. He's kind of glad he learnt a few things in the muggle world. He actually thought he needed his muggle knowledge when coming to Hogwarts in his first year. He didn't really need it at all honestly.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Yes, Harry, Sirius Black," said Draco with a little nod, and he smiled at the sight of seeing Harry deep in thought. "He's my uncle too. I do have Black family blood running through my veins, thanks to my mother."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked overwhelmed but confused at the same time. It just didn't really make sense at all. He knows that Sirius was gay, and he knew well that Sirius would have never had a child with anyone at a young age. That was just... He knows by calculation that his own mom had him at around twenty. If he was born in July. Take nine months from July and you get sometime in October.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco rolled his eyes in a playful manner. He thought the confused look Harry made was very cute. Why was he thinking this now? C'mon Draco, keep it together. He felt a flush rush up his cheeks as he realized Harry's been staring at him for a while.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I hope she's okay," Harry said and peeked back into the bathroom to see Ivy still crying. He wondered why she seemed so depressed "She's been crying her eyes out."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Did You even think of asking if she was okay yourself?" Draco asked him gently. He knew if he forced the question it would sound like it's Harry's fault or something. He didn't want Harry to take the blame on anything.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Well... I- Uh-." Harry stuttered and looked down at the ground a little sadly. "I was going to... but." He never wanted to disturb Ivy and knew he'd probably make it worse. It would embarrass her knowing her singing had been heard. He forgot Draco was still there, lost in his thoughts.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Thank you, Harry," Draco then said as he didn't want to push Harry into answering him. He needed to thank Harry for not running off and telling a teacher about what he saw though. Who knows how Ivy would react, but he does know that she would have a panic attack and try to run away.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"You're welcome?" Harry asked and was uncertain about why Draco was thanking him. What exactly did he do? "But why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Well for starters, you now know about her struggles," said Draco and then his expression became a little serious as this topic wasn't talked about much. He and Pansy rarely talk about Ivy's state because they know how down she would be if they were talking about her behind her back. "I hope you won't tell anybody about this, Harry."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry shakes his head. He would never tell a soul about what he has seen and talked about at all to anybody. Not even Hermione and Ron will hear about what he's found out today. Then again, he never tells them anything that happens to him. Only Hermione knows of his friendship with Draco and what little thing goes on. "I promise, Draco."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Thank you," Draco said and he decides to wink at Harry to get a reaction out of him and he definitely got one. He saw an adorable red tinge rise up to the Gryffindor's cheeks. He smiles with satisfaction. "Still up for practising potions and flying?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry hesitates for a moment to think about this option. He has felt better when alone with Draco, and definitely while he's flying. It just gives him something to do instead of thinking darkly about his life.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled, giving Harry a little wave to say he's going to get Ivy and walked towards where Ivy was sitting. "Hey, Ivy," he said in a careful voice and crouched down to her on the floor. Harry heard what sounded like metal being thrown across the room, looked over at the two Slytherins and saw that Draco had thrown the blade Ivy used across the room.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"H-Hi Dra-co. I-m s-sorry," she sobbed, pulling her jumper and robe sleeves down past her wrists to cover up the artwork that she drew on her forearm. It stung but not like a bee sting. It was a nice sting that numbed her of her pain inside her. The numb haze stays for a while until it goes away hours later and she has to make do with the cuts on her arm.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Come here, Ivy," Draco said and wrapped his arms around his cousin in a light hug so she could sob into his robes. "Let's get you back to our house dorms." He helped his cousin up and walked her out of the girl's Bathroom, right passed Harry.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry noticed the blade was still on the ground. A little curious, he walked over and picked it up, admiring the sharpness of it. The blade was a little bigger than the one he uses. He washed off the blood at the sinks in case she needed it back. Harry wasn't good in these kinds of situations, especially comforting someone.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

After what he had experienced, he decided it was probably close to lunch, he carried the blade with him down to his dorm, placed it in the bottom drawer of his wooden bedside table so if Ivy ever wanted it back she could just ask.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

But Harry felt it would be better if he carried it around in case, he would see her in the corridors and give it back to her. He knew that sounded very...wrong but he knew what it was like to be in pain. So, he opened up the bedside table drawer, got Ivy's blade out, also picked up his invisibility cloak in case of need and put it in his robe pocket. Harry just carried the two items in his pocket the rest of the day until he could find Ivy.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

After exiting the bathroom, Draco took a sobbing Ivy to the Slytherin common room. When they got there, so they don't draw attention to themselves, they went to the back of the common room behind a large pillar which they found Pansy nodding off into sleep with a book on the small round table in front of her.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Pansy!" Draco hissed and tapped her hard on the shoulder, making his best friend jolt awake and look around her surroundings. Then she saw Ivy with tears streaming down her cheeks and frowned.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Oh darling," she said and immediately got to her feet. Just as she did so the older girl hugged her tightly and began lightly crying. Pansy knew she was trying to gather the courage to speak so she let her have her time to do so. "What happened?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

It took a few minutes for Ivy to calm down, and in those minutes the three had sat down at the round table and waited for her to calm down and start. "I..." she mumbled under her breath. She sighed miserably and shook her head, telling herself that she could do this. "I w-was just walking the corridors by myself until I c-came across a few groups of people. Tobias was there, same was Kiely and Michael. They and a few dozens of students whispered about me as I walked by, calling me names, staring at me like I'm some pariah. It was just so... I hated it! And then when I got to class... I don't know how but I dropped my books. Everyone in the classroom started laughing at me and I just couldn't take it. I had to get away. I had to release these emotions. I-"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

As Ivy began sobbing again, Pansy pulled her into a hug and whispered soothing words of comfort and love. She will hunt these boys down and hex them into the next week for Ivy. They will pay and she and Draco will do everything in their power to get those idiots back. "Draco, I can handle everything from here. Go get some lunch, please. You need it."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Are you certain-" Draco tried to reason with her, but he was cut off. He just wanted to help his cousin out. She was his main priority right now. He was scared for her life.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Yes!" Pansy spat and shooed him away with her free hand. "Go! Otherwise, I'll send a stinging hex your way once I learn it. Oh, and don't you have that study date with Harry during lunch? You don't want to miss that do you?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco knew not to argue with Pansy. Everyone knew it. She was right about the meeting with Harry. "Fine," he said with a sigh and stood up from his seat, pushing it back under the table. "And it's not a date!" From then, and watching a smirk spread across Pansy's face, he decided to head off to lunch after giving Ivy a sad look

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

*****

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

As time went by, it was exactly lunchtime. Harry felt his tummy rumble for food and with food in his mind, he rushed down to the Great Hall. When he entered, he noticed Draco was there sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. He looked over at Draco once he sat and as soon as he did so, Harry gave him a little smile.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco looked over at him and gave a slight small smile back. His head was killing him with all the millions of thoughts rushing through his mind about his cousin's state and how Pansy is helping her. He trusts Pansy to do what she must to help Ivy, but he does wish he were there with them. Ivy needs the help.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry was too hungry to think about when Ron and Hermione would be here, so he quickly grabbed a Ham/cheese/Lettuce & tomato sandwich and started eating. He only ate half of the sandwich but even so knew he really shouldn't have eaten it as he felt himself become sick.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Lost in thought, Harry just caught Draco looking over at him. Draco was still alone at the Slytherin table and as soon as Harry looked up at Draco, he noticed a faint blush spread upon Draco's cheeks as he turned to look the other way. That rosiness in Draco's cheeks always made Harry feel a little amused at the sight and he couldn't help but feel a warming sensation come upon his own cheeks as he knew the Slytherin had been staring at him.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Then he remembered last year, how much Draco had grown from the little rich prick, who was kind of cute, to be honest. Who followed him around everywhere, to this... handsome young man. He's surprised girls aren't waiting in line for Draco because who wouldn't love guys with blonde hair, pretty silver eyes, sharp cheekbones and a kind heart. It's easy to admit how amazingly beautiful Draco is.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

As soon as he finished eating, he nodded at Draco and pointed his head towards the door. Draco nodded back and got up and mouthed 'Library.' Harry nodded and waited for Draco to leave the Great Hall, then he followed from behind and caught up to him. "Hello, Draco."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Hey yourself," Draco said and turned around to face Harry with a smile, his bookbag placed on shoulder and hanging quite loosely. Maybe it's best to quit worrying about Ivy and spend some time with Harry. "Ready for potion practice?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Sure am," Harry said and pointed ahead of them into the corridor. "Let's go!" But first, he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his invisibility cloak knowing there will still be students in the corridors somewhere. Draco nodded slightly and watched as Harry threw the cloak over them both. It was a strange material when he felt it, like silk but also like wool.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

They glanced into each other's eyes for a second as the cloak covered them, making them invisible to the rest of the world. They could hug in the corridor while dozens of students walk by and nobody would know. Draco looked down at Harry's mouth and licked his lips at the thought that appeared in his mind. He had to blink and look away to think away that intriguing thought. "Library, Harry," he reminded the Gryffindor with a little nudge of his shoulder.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Right," said Harry and bit his lip, glancing at Draco's lips for a second then looking to the side of them down the corridor to the right. They linked arms to stay close to each other and then headed for the library as they didn't want to waste time. They reached the library and took a left, appearing in front of the familiar vertical bookshelves with the smaller architecture bookshelf holding the trigger to the secret place. Draco pulled the book down and the bookshelf shook, opening up like double doors into the darkened hallway. As soon as the boys stepped in and the bookshelf closed behind them the torches all lit up, brightening the long hallway in flames of dancing fire.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

They wandered down the torch-lit hallway and through the door at the end until Draco took away the silence and removed the cloak from himself. "So, what potion would you like to make today?" he asked a little curiously as he walked around the room, placed his bookbag on the back of the couch and sat down on the midnight blue couch.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry shrugged as he folded up the cloak and placed it on the back of the couch. He didn't want to just dump it there and make Draco think that he was messy. Then he sat beside Draco with his body facing the Slytherin and said, "Something easy, I guess."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco nodded as he knew of a potion to make. "I know now the perfect potion." He knew Harry hasn't been eating much, it's easy to see. If he was right, and Harry had been suffering from either an eating disorder like Ivy does or something else then he knew the best potion for Harry to make.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Okay, what are we brewing then?" Harry asked as he watched Draco walk over to the dressing table that had a cauldron already there. He guessed it was Draco's cauldron. The thought of making the sleeping potion again made him blush a little as he remembered kissing Draco when he was sleeping. God, he couldn't stop thinking about that for ages. It was glued to the front of his mind.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco sighed; he didn't want to lie to Harry, but he also didn't want him to worry. "A potion for eating disorders," He said and gathered the right ingredients from the bookshelf for the potion and placed them aside from the cauldron. Like always he kept his potion ingredients down here so no sneaky Slytherin dormmate would steal from him.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar word he was being fed with, "An eating what now?" He's heard of disorders from somewhere, but he doesn't exactly know what it is.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Eating disorder, Harry," Draco repeated and he leaned his hands on the dressing table, facing Harry. He hesitated and thought about how to say this correctly. "Look, I've noticed things about this guy in school. He hardly eats and when he does eat something he rushes out of the Great Hall. I believe he goes to the bathroom and... spews whatever he ate or drank up."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded; he knew he has the same problem as this guy Draco's talking about. Unless... "Oh, so you want to make a potion for him?" He asked the blonde Slytherin and Draco nodded. He gave him a warm smile which he didn't think he'd ever be able to do. Was it possible that with being near the Slytherin, he felt a little better? Well, he'd always feel a little better if Draco was around. The Slytherin was like... A Patronus? Draco would chase away the depression for a while and replace it with... Harry didn't know. Was it love and happiness? "That's a wonderful idea, Draco. Very sweet of you."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled back at Harry with a slight flush to his cheeks while getting lost in those emerald green eyes. The green eyes which have the familiar emptiness in them. "When we do finish the potion, can you test it out? Just to-"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Of course," Harry said automatically as he really does hate having to vomit out anything he eats, as well as the thought of food made him sick. He just wants to eat a normal meal like a normal person would. "Sorry for interrupting you, and I'd be happy to test it out."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco waved a hand at him of dismissal and opened his potions book up to the required page. "Let's get started," he said and watches as Harry got up to stand next to him at the dressing table. He really hopes this potion does the trick and helps Harry out. Food is supposed to go down and not come back up. It's what gives everyone nutrients and energy to get up and do what they must to live.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"So, what do we do first?" Harry then asks as he subconsciously moves a little closer to the blonde until their arms touch. The meeting of their arms sends a shiver down his spine, even if it wasn't skin on skin. He's always wearing long sleeves, so people don't see what he does to himself. But he's seen Ivy wearing short sleeve tops at times, thus she probably doesn't cut that much.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"We?" Draco said, finding it amusing to think that Harry would be getting help from him when this is his potions tutoring. He smiles and shook his head. "Not me, you. I'll be supervising. Read chapter 132 for the potion please." He lit the bottom of the cauldron with his wand.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry watched as the flames danced under the cauldron, he could feel the warmth on his fingers. "Oh, okay," he said and scanned the ingredients and instructions on the page in Draco's potions book. "It says here that I need Boom berry, Dittany, Ginger root, Griffin claw, Horklump juice and peppermint."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"That is correct," Draco told him with a nod. All Harry needed to do is to complete the potion without stuffing it up, but he believes Harry can do it. He will give some help to Harry but that's it. "You can start brewing now." He'd fill the cauldron up halfway with water just with a flick of his wand and a silent whisper of, "Aquamenti!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry read over the instructions, "Step one: dice the Boom Berry and sprinkle it in." He'd grab the chopping board, grab the glass jar with the Boom Berry and start dicing it. Once finished he'd sprinkle it into the cauldron, the water turned into a rich purple colour. He looked at the colour of the potion compared to the book, he smiled and read the next instruction. "Step two: crush the Dittany in a Mortar with a Pestle."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry grabbed the mortar, grabbed the glass jar containing the Dittany it in and poured the recommended amount of it in the Mortar and crushed it using the pestle. He set it aside from the cauldron and looked at the next instruction. "Chop up the Ginger root and add in the cauldron." Harry grabbed the glass jar containing the Ginger root, grabbed a piece and chopped it up. He then added the chopped Ginger root into the cauldron. He continued making the potion, watching as it slowly turned into the required light lilac colour as it should be.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled, impressed with how well Harry is doing. "And yet again, you finish another potion," he said with his chin raised high a little. "Pour some into a vial and take a sip."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded and returned the smile at Draco. He grabbed a glass vial and poured some of his finished potions in it. He was quite proud of his work and hoped this would help him in some way. "This better not be poisoned," he said with a little half-smile, making Draco laugh at the impossible action.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I'd never poison such an amazing guy like you, Harry," Draco says and places his hand on the Gryffindor's shoulder, giving him a little pat. Who would even think of doing such a monstrous thing to someone? Oh, he knows who. That bloody dark Lord.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry blushed and took a sip of the potion just to hide his glowing cheeks. He felt like the potion is already working and making him hungry. If only he had some food... He's never felt so hungry in his life.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smirked and went back over to the couch, searching his bookbag and pockets for a little snack. He grabbed out a green apple and threw it to Harry who caught it easily. The apple was fresh, of course. He got it during lunch. "Eat, Harry," he told him a little strictly and dropped his book bag on the couch so he could cross his arms, making himself appear a little intimidating. "You'll feel much better. I would have given you a treacle tart but well... I didn't want to reach into my robe and feel mush."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry remembered those words coming from Professor Lupin's mouth but a little simpler. He nodded at what Draco told him about the Treacle Tart, understanding how gross it is to reach into somewhere and feel something disgusting and mushy. "Thanks, Draco," he said and took a bite of the deliciously sour green apple. "How did you know I like Treacle Tarts?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco shrugged and smiled with a blush to his cheeks. Oh, this is hard to say. He can't say I know things about you like nobody else can. He's not that crazy about Harry even if the thought of what pyjamas Harry wears does cross his mind. "I notice things."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded. He knew a lot of things about Draco just by observing him. He knows what the blonde likes to eat, his favourite dessert and breakfast. "So, may I ask who this guy is you're wanting to help?" He couldn't quite help feeling a little jealous for whoever this guy Draco wants to help out.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco sighed; he knew Harry would want to ask questions. But it was good for him to know. "It's you, Harry," he said in a gentle voice and looked into those green eyes that sparkled in the sun and moonlight. "I've noticed you not eating much at all and it's really worrying."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded, he understood Draco's worry for him. But now he felt bad because now Draco knows of his eating problem, but he also felt relieved as he could possibly stop the eating disorder. He just hates looking at food like it's the enemy. "You don't need to worry about me, Draco," he assured in a soft tone. "I'm fine."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco frowned; he's been wanting to hear what caused Harry to develop an eating disorder. Or even what could have made him look so down and depressed. What does Harry go through? He couldn't help but ask, "Harry, are you really okay?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded and stared at the ground, trying not to get annoyed at the question. The bloody question keeps popping up at random times and he's hating the question even more ass he hears it repeatedly. "I'm fine, Draco."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco shook his head, not believing it at all. He gently grabbed Harry's hand, walked over to the couch, and sat down with him. He looked into Harry's green eyes and smiled. "I just want to let you know that you can talk to me about anything, Harry," he told him in a gentle voice. "Anything at all. I really care for you, Harry Potter. I worry about you. You're an incredible person and I dislike seeing you so down all the time. Whenever you want to talk, I'm always here. You don't have to just come out and say everything, we can meet down here and have little talks. One topic about your life at a time. Sound simple enough?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded; he just didn't want anybody knowing about life back at the Dursleys. He knew they'd only worry about him more and keep a close eye on him, which would be annoying. Or they would call him a freak and tell the entire school. So, both options were a no-no. "I know, Draco. And thanks."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"It's not a problem at all, Harry," Draco told him in an assuring tone of voice and with one of his charming smiles. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what." He opened his arms out into a hug for Harry because he knows he wants to be in Harry's arms again, but he also knows Harry needs a hug. "Want a hug?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry, of course, would love a hug from Draco. He simply nodded and slowly wrapped his arms around Draco. Draco chuckled and hugged Harry back, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "Now, I believe that Lunch is nearly over. Is your shoulder still hurting? Do you still want to fly this evening?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry gave a small smile at all the questions. He couldn't wait for tonight. It would be another fun night out with his friend. "We should get back for classes. My shoulder is better than it was a couple of days ago and yes, I still would love to go flying with you."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"That's terrific!" Draco said, beaming and slowly released the hug even if he didn't want to. Harry was just so comfy to him like a Crup or one of his giant dragon teddies that he secretly keeps a cupboard locked away from the world. He likes keeping his childhood toys for some reason. It just brings back good memories.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry sighed, wishing the hug could last longer. Maybe some other time. Right now, they had to go to class and not be late. "Let's head to class before we get a detention for being late."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco nodded, grabbed his book bag from the couch and watched as Harry was about to exit the room. He still had to tell him a little something about the potion and if he would want more in the future. "Wait, Harry!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry turned around and looked at Draco with a questionable expression. "Yeah?" he asked, a little unsure why Draco wasn't trying to rush him to class. He knows the Slytherin likes to get to class just in time with his house.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"If you ever need me to make you the potion again, just ask," Draco told him and grabbed a couple of vials from the drawers. "I'll meet you up in class, I'm just going to fill some vials up with the last of this potion, so it doesn't go to waste."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded and returned a smile, but it wasn't a real one. His smiles never reached his eyes, and he knew Draco could tell. "Thanks, Draco. I'm grateful you want to help." With a nod at the Slytherin, he left the room to head back up for Charms.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco sighed, wondering if or when Harry will tell him about his troubles. All he knew is that it probably has something to do with those muggle relatives of Harry's. Locking Harry in his room for who knows how long? Draco's face paled, wondering if Harry deals with abuse like his cousin Ivy does. But he still can't believe that Harry Potter could have been abused, it just doesn't add up. He pushed those thoughts aside and continued pouring the potion into vials for Harry.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry entered the Charms class just in time, he knew if Draco didn't get to class in 10 minutes, he'd be late. He sighed and sat next to Ron who gave him a smile. He looked around the room, seeing it's half empty. He couldn't help but think if he and Ron were in the right classroom, he noticed a few Gryffindors sitting beside each other. He was about to grab out his parchment and quill but noticed on the blackboard there was writing in his professor's handwriting.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

There will be practical lessons today. Meet out back in the courtyard as we'll be trying a new spell.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nudged Ron in the shoulder and pointed to the blackboard. Didn't his best mate see that at all? "Did you read that before coming inside?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron looked up at the blackboard and shook his head, "Nope. Just noticed it now thanks to you."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry got up off his seat, and that's when he saw Draco wander into the classroom. They both hesitated, shared eye contact and smiled. He pointed his head towards the blackboard in the front of the class and Draco looked over and nodded as he read what's on the blackboard.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry watched Draco leave and turned back to Ron. He wanted to catch up with Draco but knew it he spent time with him out in the open it would be suspicious, especially to Ron since he doesn't know about the friendship Harry and Draco have. "Let's go, Ron," he said and gave Ron a quick tap on the shoulder, telling him they need to go now. "I don't know how you didn't see the board and what was written on it. I'm sure we're going to be late anyway."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Ron nodded, giving him narrowed eyes for the little insult but left it be. He got up from his seat and followed Harry out of the classroom to the Courtyard. Professor Flitwick was already there with half the other students from the class.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

The professor noticed the two boys coming from the classroom and smiled. "Ah, boys. Glad you can make it," he said and gestured them towards everyone else in the class. He then looked over the crowd of his students, finding someone to get the rest of his pupils. "Can someone fetch the rest of my class, please?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Dean's hand shot up first, he knew Seamus was still in the classroom. He wondered how Seamus still hasn't seen the blackboard as the professors writing was big enough to see from the other side of the Great Hall. "I will, professor."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

The professor looked up at his student, he knew Dean and Seamus were good friends. Very good friends actually. He's seen them snogging in the halls which surprises him a little. Of course, he has had to teach a lot of LGBTQ+ students in the past and present and he finds them quite extraordinary. "Very well, Mr Thomas," he said in a squeaky voice. "Be quick! This will be an exciting lesson!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

With a nod, Dean left to go back into the classroom. Harry smiled sadly at his dorm mate, he knew Dean and Seamus were boyfriends. He remembered walking into the dorm room unannounced and caught them snogging on Dean's bed and the time he caught them holding hands at the Quidditch World Cup. He was wishing he could do that with a guy someday. Well, a certain whitish-blonde haired Slytherin wizard.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

The professor got up on a rock he conjured from a stone as soon as he saw the rest of his class come into view. He smiled at his class. "Now, today we will be learning the spell 'Avis'," the professor informed them. "Can anybody tell me about what it is?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Hermione's hand shot right up. She knew the spell of course. Why wouldn't she? She always reads about spells and potions before the actual term starts.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Ah, Miss Granger as always," said the professor and his smile widened. She's the top in her class as always. "Do enlighten us on the charm and its purpose, please."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Hermione nodded at the order. "Most certainly," she said sweetly. "Avis is a spell that conjures a flock of birds. You can make them do anything, attack or defend."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Very good, Miss Granger," the professor squeaked, raised his wand, and swished it in the air. "Avis!" In a matter of seconds, budgerigars came out of nowhere, soured down to the professor and circled around him. "Get out your wands, everyone, and practice the spell. However, don't point your wand at anybody, that will make the birds think you either want to attack the person or defend you."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry reached inside his robe and pulled out his wand from its pocket and pointed his wand up in the air, "Avis!" He watched the skies and saw black cockatoo's fly down and circle around him. He chuckled as one cockatoo landed on his shoulder which he petted that cockatoo on its head. He looked over to Draco and saw white cockatoo's circling around him and one on his shoulder. He made eye contact with the blonde Slytherin and gave him a smile, which turned out not to be that big as the Slytherin furrowed his eyebrows at him.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Hermione couldn't help but giggle at the two boys so oblivious to be in love with each other. Two birds of the same species conjured by two people meant something much more than what it looks like.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry played around with his birds, feeding them even if it was just a conjuring spell. He looked over at Ron and noticed his Indian Minor birds are getting all feisty. He smiled and looked over at Draco. As soon as Draco saw Harry staring, he winked at him. Harry turned to pet his cockatoos with a blush on his face.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

*****

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry and Draco decided to meet each other back in the library's secret room after dinner. He had his broom, invisibility cloak and practice snitch with him. It took him a few minutes to escape Ron and Hermione, but he managed to talk them out of where he was going. Of course, Hermione knew who he was going to see. She's been talking with Harry a lot about his and Draco's relationship, Hermione always sighed when she heard Harry say, "We're just friends." But she couldn't help but think with a knowing smile, Not for long.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry entered through the door into the library's secret room, the first thing he saw was Draco sitting on the couch reading a book. He just stood there at the door, admiring the view in front of him. Draco's blonde hair was as perfect as it ever has been, it was shining almost golden due to the flames in the fireplace. His pale complexion glowed with the dancing flames of the fireplace. The Slytherin was focused on the book he was reading.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smirked, knowing Harry had just come in and had been staring at him. It was great getting Harry's attention, it's something he's always wanted and now he has it. "Enjoying the view, Potter?" he couldn't help but ask as he turned a page over in his book. It actually wasn't his book. It belonged in this room.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry flushed at what Draco said that was true. He was enjoying looking at the view in front of him. "I-, n-no..." he stuttered and cursed himself for the stuttering as it's a big giveaway. "Yes, I am enjoying the view." He rubbed slightly at his neck and saw Draco turn his body around to look up at him from his book. He saw a flash of emotion through Draco's silver eyes: surprise, need and passion...? "Enjoying the view of me catching the snitch," he quickly corrected before anything accidentally came out wrong. That's when he noticed what Draco was wearing. A dark cashmere sweater with black fleece joggers and his usual Dragon scale boots.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco wished Harry meant something else. It would make everything a little easier. "In your dreams, Harry," he said with a smirk to his lips. He knows that even in his own dream he can see Harry meaning what he says. What's with the baggy clothes Harry was wearing though? They looked as if they would fit a bigger male. Those tracksuit pants were way to big on Harry and they were being held up with a black belt. But that Black hoodie, he admits, he finds Harry quite cute in.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Not if I can actually win back the snitch, which I believe I can," Harry said with a playful grin, and a gleam showed in his green eyes, making Draco feel amused and also a little playful. The Slytherin was pondering what Harry could do that would beat him to the snitch.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled in a challenging way and he seemed quite relaxed where he was. "Alright," He said and walked to the small bookshelves, grabbing his broom and faced the handsome Gryffindor. "Shall we?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded and asked for Draco's arm to link with as a little gesture. "We shall, and I am winning back the snitch!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"We'll see about that," said Draco cheekily as he linked arms with Harry, giving him what they both want until the little match.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry and Draco exited the secret room, as soon as they were at the wall and pulled the trigger, they hid under the invisibility cloak. The darkness of the library engulfed them; shadows reigned from parts of the castle as they walked to the Willow tree in silence. That silence stopped as they reached the Willow tree, Harry took the invisibility cloak off the both of them and placed it beside the trunk of the tree. Once he stood back up his, eyes met with Draco's eyes and he distracted himself by mounting his Firebolt and hovering in the air.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled, mounted his Nimbus 2001, and looked over to Harry, "Race you!" He then took off, flying around the castle towards the Quidditch Pitch. Harry grunted and soared after the Slytherin. He leaned down on his broom and accelerated faster, coming closer and closer to Draco. As soon as they were at the Quidditch Pitch, Harry cast a "Lumos" on the snitch and let it go. The glowing snitch immediately flew across the Pitch with Harry and Draco in pursuit. Draco followed every move that Harry made, in tight formation behind him. Attempting to shake him off Harry went higher in a vertical barrel roll than he usually would fly, and then doubled back and flew straight down towards the ground.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco sighed and turned around; he knew better than to dive for the snitch. But of course, he watched as Harry dived after the snitch. Harry and his daring Gryffindor Bravery. Before Harry was too close to the ground, he maneuvered up and sped straight forward trying to capture the snitch. The snitch darted up into the air and so did Harry. He didn't dare to look back to where Draco was, but he knew he would have spotted the snitch too.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry saw the snitch flying straight towards the Slytherin Quidditch stands. He kept at it, knowing he had only a few feet more. He stretched out his hand and made his Firebolt go faster. The Slytherin Quidditch stands were nearing in front of him and with a final burst, he snatched the snitch from the air. He immediately pulled up and to the right to avoid colliding with the Slytherin stand. He sighed, grateful he took that sharp turn and looked over at Draco.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Have you gone bonkers?" Draco shouted at him as he came closer. He nearly had a heart attack when watching Harry dive for the snitch. It was so dangerous, and he could have gotten seriously injured! How would he have to explain to Madam Pomphrey that he has been out at night playing a little round of 'Catch the Snitch' with Harry? "You practically flew straight into the stands!"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry tossed the snitch into the air and caught it with a grin. Finally, he got it this round instead of Draco. "We can just call that the 'Potter Feint', doesn't have the same ring to it as the Wronski Feint, though."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"You really are nuts," Draco said with a slow shake of his head. He was sitting on his broom just staring at Harry with concern and worry. Harry would do anything to get what he wants even if it's too dangerous.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry shrugged and smiled, "At least I know how to fly." He felt a little stupid for saying that. He's like the king of saying stupid stuff. That's just great.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Barely," said Draco with a smirk. He knows how well Harry can fly. Harry practically dived for the snitch and luckily flew up when he was a few feet from the ground. Harry just has luck on his side. He has gotten through the first task but what about the second task and the third?

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry raised an eyebrow from what the Slytherin said. It sounds to him that Draco doesn't think he can fly. Oh, but he can. When Quidditch starts up again he will show him who can fly. Good luck Draco Malfoy, you would need it he wanted to say.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I'm sorry," Draco said and raised his hands up in surrender. "It's just my Malfoyness trying to tear itself out." What he said made Harry chuckle because Harry could see a clear vision of a little devil in Draco trying to claw its way out of the jail cell it's trapped in.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Go on then," said Harry and crossed his arms over his chest, amused at what this is becoming. "Let it out." He wouldn't mind hearing the Malfoy in Draco once again, he kind of missed him. He does see both sides of Draco during the day though. The git still comes out during the day when he sees Draco pushing his way through the crowd of students. But the nice and sweet side of Draco he has gotten to know comes out when he's around.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco raised an eyebrow as he said, "Are you sure?" He didn't want to hurt Harry at all even if Harry tells him to. He knows Harry would just bottle whatever rude things he or anybody else says to him and keep it inside him so he can wallow in self-pity later. Its what Ivy does and it's not healthy at all.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry nodded. He didn't care whatever mean things come out of other people's mouths. He can take it. He really can. "Do your worst, Draco Malfoy."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco sighed and looked Harry up and down, trying to think of something to say but all he could do was check Harry out. "Wonderful Potter, with his scar and his broomstick!" he spat but regretted it immediately. Well, he didn't really insult Harry at all, but it sounded like he did.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry laughed at the 'insult' if he could call it that. It's more of a compliment Draco said than an insult. At least he tried... though he knows Draco can do a lot better. "Is that the best you can do, Draco?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco shook his head with a smile. "No, I can do much worse." He knows he can do a lot worse, but he doesn't want to. It will hurt him if he actually hurts Harry. He would never forgive himself for it. It would be like he was insulting himself a little. Then he frowned a little at the thought of making Harry feel bad about himself. "But what if I don't want to? What if I don't like insulting you?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry tried to not let out a laugh, but he failed. These conversations keep getting more amusing every single day. "Who are you and what have you done to Draco Malfoy?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"He's long gone, replaced by someone much better," said Draco with a wink which to his delight made Harry's cheeks burn a little red. "Alright, perhaps he's still locked away inside the good side of me but I'm not letting him out."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Right," said Harry, seeming a little disbelieved. He knows the Malfoy in Draco can never be replaced. He'd still deep within Draco somewhere. "Anyway, we should head back. I don't need a 'Tempus' to tell us it's late."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco nodded, winked, and flew off towards the castle. Harry ignored the flush on his cheeks and soared after Draco. By the time they got back to the Willow tree, dismounted their brooms, pulled on the invisibility cloak, and headed inside they were fairly tired. They had their brooms tucked under their arms tightly so the brooms wouldn't move the cloak upwards.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco yawned a little when they were back inside the warm castle corridors. He didn't feel like walking all the way down to the Slytherin common room. "Isn't the transfiguration courtyard closer to us than our own house dormitories?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked beside him at the Slytherin a little curiously and nodded. "Yes, the Transfiguration Courtyard is much closer to us than we are of our dorms," he said, unsure about what Draco's getting at. "Why do you ask?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I want to sleep in-," Draco tried but was cut off by Harry. He didn't mind though. All he wants to do is find somewhere comfy to sleep even if he rather it be his own bed in the dormitory.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Hold on," Harry said with disbelief. He just couldn't believe that Draco would sleep in some 100-year-old bed that hasn't been used in centuries. Was he being serious or joking? "You're not actually thinking of going into one of the founder's bedrooms to sleep, right?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I am thinking of sleeping in Salazar's room, or even Godric's if we find it," Draco said earnestly, smiling slightly at Harry and how he thinks he doesn't believe him. Even he wouldn't believe himself for saying such a thing. But the rooms seem neat, and the cleaning magic still works in the room, so he has a good feeling that there won't be any rats living down there. Or so he hopes. "I just want to sleep as soon as I can."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"You can just head down to the Slytherin dormitories to sleep," Harry told him. The dungeon entrance was just by the Grand Hall. It wasn't that far actually. Just a few minutes of walking.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco shook his head as he said, "No." He doesn't exactly want to wake up his dorm mates like the last time he did. And he knows Ivy would be waiting for him with unanswered questions which he doesn't want to answer. "A Malfoy always gets their beauty sleep."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry chuckled at what Draco said. At least the Slytherin gets his sleep, not like Harry ever does. "Aww!" he coed in a mock-baby tone and placed a hand over his heart while his other hand helped support the invisibility cloak covering them from the world. "Does poor little Dwayco also want me to tell him a bedtime story and give him a kiss goodnight?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry, a little annoyed that Harry would talk to him like that and that he would need a sodding child bedtime story. Although, he definitely wanted that kiss goodnight from Harry. He could already picture Harry sneakily giving him a kiss to the cheek or forehead. Or even better, right on the lips. The thought made him warm and fluttery inside.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry decided to not speak of anything else as he knew he made Draco a little provoked. "So, you still want to go to the bedrooms?" he asked just to change the topic back to what Draco wanted. Draco gave a nod, and a strand of his blonde hair falls in his eyes. Harry just wants to push that strand back from those pretty silver eyes... "Which one then? We only know of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff bedroom. I'm sure you don't want to go searching for the others this late."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Ravenclaw bedroom," said Draco and he blew the strand of hair out of his eyes, while Harry watched him without blinking. Draco didn't want to sleep in a yellow room full of plants that could strangle him in his sleep. That's what he thought though. "We can search for the others some other time."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Alright," Harry said and still couldn't believe that Draco would sleep in a dead person's room, even if it weren't haunted. He hoped the room wasn't haunted. He's also a little confused with ghosts and poltergeists. In the muggle world, they have shadow people, demons, and ghosts but the Wizarding world has different types of ghosts too. There's the Bloody Baron, Sir Headless Nick and a few others.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

The two boys walked to the Transfiguration courtyard and stopped as they reached the familiar blank wall. Harry pointed his wand at the blank wall and whispered, "Alohomora!" The wall shook and sunk into the ground, the boys entered the lightened tunnel from the Lumos Maxima they cast last time they were in the tunnel and heard the wall close from behind them. When at the three coloured doors, Harry turned to his left and pointed his wand at the Ravenclaw coloured door, saying, "Apertio!" The blue door opened with a 'click' and the boys entered the blue room which also was still lit up from the Lumos Maxima they cast from last time they were here.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco instantly walked over to the bed, feeling sleep making his eyelids droop a little and he leaned his Nimbus 2001 on the wall beside the bedside table. Yawning, he crawled on the bed to the pillows and turned around to look over at Harry. He tucked his legs under the dark blue sheets and Duna of the bed. "Are you heading back to Gryffindor Tower to sleep or are you staying here with me?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry flushed as he walked over to the bed, placed his Firebolt next to Draco's Nimbus 2001 and leaned on one of the posters of the bed. He didn't think Draco would ask that kind of question. He didn't exactly want to leave Draco in here all by himself. "Uhm, I'm not sure," he says and then noticed a part of Draco's shirt is up, showing his abdomen. He quickly blinks and looks back up into silver eyes. "If Ron wakes up and finds I'm not sleeping or isn't the common room, well, I don't know what he'd do."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco was thinking of making a pouty face at Harry just to make him stay, but he just sighed. He didn't want to be here all alone and in a dead woman's bed. He would rather Harry be here with him all night but if Harry wants to go... "Can you stay here with me, please?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry gave him a quizzical look, "Why?" he asked out of curiosity. The thought of Draco fearing the dark popped into his mind, but he just didn't believe it at all. "It's not like there is a ghost of Rowena Ravenclaw who will haunt us if she finds two boys in her bed."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled at the thought of sleeping with Harry in the same bed. It's been a dream of his for quite some time. He patted the other side of him on the bed, gesturing Harry to sit down. "Well, she could do."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry shook his head at the thought of Rowena ever having a ghost. How do ghosts become... ghosts? It's a worldwide conspiracy theory. "Not likely."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Please stay with me," Draco asked with a little pout that made Harry smile, and in a pleading tone. He hoped this would work. At least he made the green-eyed Gryffindor smile again. That's one of his daily goals in life. "I don't want to get haunted."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry rolled his eyes at the impossible thought of getting haunted. "Fine," He said as he walked over to the wardrobe at the other side of the bedroom and looked for some Pajamas in the drawers. Surprisingly, he found a blue and green set of checkered guy Pyjamas. They were good enough. He would have liked red though. "I'm going for a shower; I'll be back in a minute."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco nodded and watched Harry disappear into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He heard the shower turn on. It was an interesting tune, not like the showers in the boy's bathroom in the Slytherin dormitories. He just sat there, listening to the shower in the bathroom with a supposedly naked Harry Potter. He shuffled to the right side of the bed and pulled the blankets up to his waist just so he doesn't get too cold. It was weird being in a girl's bed, it was much comfier. But, not as comfy as his own bed back at Malfoy manor.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

As soon as he knew it, the shower had turned off. He laid down in the bed and looked up at the ceiling tapestry. He heard the bathroom door open, close, then heard footsteps walk over to him. He sat up and watched as Harry in blue checkeredpyjamas placed those baggy clothes down on the end of the bed and got into bed beside him and. "Do I still get told a bedtime story?" he asked as he then got out of bed, wanting to have a shower so he can get back into the nice warm bed.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry covered the blankets up past his waist and he leaned back on the dark wooden bed head. "Not tonight, Draco," he said and looked around his surroundings, finding something to do while Draco will take a shower. All he saw were books over at the bookcases to the far-right corner of the room.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smirked and said as he headed towards the bathroom, "Damn, I also looking forward to a goodnight kiss." He gave a wink and turned around. Harry blushed at the thought of giving Draco akiss goodnight and summoned a few books over to him with an "Accio!"just as Draco closed the door to the bathroom. Harry looked at the titles of the books, seeing as they're quite old by the cover and noticed that most of these were about boring stuff like the planets in the stars and what they apparently mean, about the spirits of the forest such as Wendigo's, Dogmen, tree spirits et cetera.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry looked up at the bathroom door and realized Draco hadn't grabbed the green set of pyjamas from the wardrobe. Not thinking clearly, he placed the stack of books on the bedside table beside him and rushed over to the wardrobe, pulling out the green pyjamas and turning to the bathroom door. He opened the bathroom door and blinked at the sight he was seeing.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco Malfoy was shirtless in the middle of the bathroom and had just levitated his shirt with a "Wingardium Leviosa!" over to the sink. Harry wolf-whistled at the Slytherin and couldn't help but stare at Draco's flat stomach, his chest, and his pink nipples that were on show to him. Draco is just so hot and damn attractive. Oops, was the thought that was rushing through Harry's head. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," he said quickly and covered his eyes, his arm extended out to hand Draco the pyjamas.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco blushed a little from Harry seeing what he looks like under a shirt and grabbed the pyjamas from Harry that he forgot to get beforehand. "Thank you, for the pyjamas," he said and placed them on the sink beside his clothes. "And it's fine, really." He didn't mind at all that Harry came in at this time. It's just if he was taking his pants off... then he would have snapped. He knows that he and Harry both have the same... parts, but he likes his privacy. 

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry had to blink to stop looking at Draco's chest, and he nodded and closed the door behind him. He leaned his back against the door and dipped his chin to his chest, sighing from the memory of the incredible view he just saw. He eventually went back to the bed and got back under the covers, starting to read the book about earthly spirits. Dogmen was a little intriguing and apparently, muggles have seen then. The book told him that they look a little like werewolves with a wolf head, big broad furry shoulders, and it stands on two hind legs. They also have eye colours of amber and light blue.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

While Harry got interested in the book he was reading, Draco quickly had his shower and headed out of the bathroom back to bed. He smiled at Harry and scootched in next to Harry on the right side of the bed. "What are you reading?"

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry, a little startled as he was so intrigued in the book looked beside him at Draco in green pyjamas. "Oh, it's just a book on earthly spirits," he said as he turned the page over to see the title of a beast named a Yeti. He's heard of the Yeti before. Every muggle has too. The beast that lives in the snowy mountain ranges of the Himalayas.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"Earthly spirits?" Draco repeated and he had a look of total confusion on his face. He has never heard of Earthly spirits before. Ghosts, yes. But not Earth spirits. "What are Earth spirits? I've never heard of them."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry raised an eyebrow, not believing that Draco wouldn't know of these spirits if they are in a book found in a witch's bedroom. Unless Rowena socialized with muggles then that would be why this book was here. "Well, these spirits can be good and bad. Some roam the land, protecting it from bad people like loggers. If anyone were to see those protecting spirits, they would gain bad luck for a certain period of time. Some evil spirits include the Wendigo, Bigfoot, Krampus, Slenderman, Rougarou and Dogmen. There are many more bad spirits though. Some good spirits include the Jackalope, Wolpertinger, Leshy and the Tikbalang."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I honestly have no idea what any of those spirits are and that they even existed," said Draco as he leaned closer to Harry and looked down at the page Harry had begun reading. "I know what a Yeti is since it relates to the Bigfoot. A Jackalope I know of and I learnt something new about them thanks to you."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry flushed a little because Draco was quite close to him. Close enough to kiss his cheek again... then he heard a yawn from the blonde Slytherin and chuckled from how cute the yawn was. So, he put the book on the bedside table, bookmarking it just by folding the tip of the page inward. He turned around, shuffling further under the sheets until the sheets covered up to his chest. "I guess this is goodnight then."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

"I guess it is," Draco said and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Harry couldn't help himself. He reached his hand up to Draco's hair and pushed back the soft locks from those silver eyes that shined with diamonds when looking at him.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Harry rested his head on the pillow and sighed when looking at Draco. He had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming of being in bed with Draco. It was a dream come true to him. "Goodnight, Draco. I wish you a happy rest."

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

Draco smiled at him and leaned down to kiss Harry's warm forehead. "Goodnight," he said as he leaned back away, heart thumping in his chest when knowing what he had just done. He pulled the blankets over the top of his head with a blush, wondering why on earth he just did that.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

When Harry felt Draco's, soft lips touching his forehead, he sighed and wished he could just lean in and end the space between them. But he didn't know if Draco liked him back. Yes, Draco kissed his forehead and kissed his cheek back on the day of the first task, and he saw that heart with his name in it on Draco's work back in a Herbology class.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

He lay there with a blush on his cheeks, still feeling Draco's kiss still lingering on his forehead. It was... those lips were so soft and amazing. He heard little snores coming from next to him and he chuckled at how adorable they sound. But how could Draco fall asleep this quickly? It had to be some joke or something. When Harry knew Draco was actually asleep, he decided to write a reply for Sirius. He had found a very old piece of parchment and an old quill in the bedside table on his side and started to write the letter.

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_Dear Sirius,_

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_It's no worries, I understand. If Draco and I do get together, don't know when that will be or how it will happen, but we will keep it a secret for as long as we can. I know that Lucius would probably kick Draco out of his house for liking men because apparently, all Purebloods must produce an heir. I will stick by Hermione and Ron although, I am slowly making friends with other people in Hogwarts, Including Draco. Well, since the truce we have been friends. Anyway, what does it mean when someone kisses you on your forehead? Draco uh... kind of did that as we said Goodnight. It felt amazing though. I wish I kissed him. Anyway, If I ever would be put into another Dragon ring again, I'd make sure to use that curse. I'm never not thinking about the next task, it's always on my mind day and night. I will surely keep in touch at least three times a week and tell you if anything unusual is happening. I'm not sure if rambling on about Draco in a letter will leave much space, I'd rather do it in person even if it annoys you. Hehe! Can't wait to hear from you again!_

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

_Harry ___

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

__Harry sighed silently and sealed the letter in an envelope he found also in the bedside table. He then placed it in the bedside table drawer, covered himself with the blankets and fell asleep next to Draco._ _

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____

____

____

_______ _ _ _

____


	11. The Golden Egg

Harry awoke to the sound of breathing next to him as well as something touching his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw Draco lying next to him with his hair tousled. Memories flooded in through his mind from last night. He went flying with Draco. He noticed Draco's left arm was hugging his stomach. He blushed a little as he did not remember Draco hugging him, only kissing him goodnight on the forehead. He had just realized that he has had a really good sleep. He didn't wake up at all during the night and has slept for more than six hours. That's a new record for him.

He carefully rolled onto his back to look at the ceiling of the 4-poster bed and remembered how soft Draco's lips were as on his forehead even if it was a quick kiss. They were so soft and were the lips of an angel. Harry just smiled at the sleeping boy and he cast a quick "Tempus," telling him it's around 5:30 in the morning. Way too early to wake Draco up so he just lay there staring at this beautiful bloke he wanted to call his boyfriend.

Harry thought back to the day in the secret room in the library where Draco lay asleep and he kissed him. He knew if he kissed Draco now, he'd probably wake up and who knows what. Harry didn't think he wanted to know but Draco didn't seem like the 'You kissed me so now I'm going to slap you because I'm not interested in you' type of guy. No, he's a soft, loving, amazing, kind, handsome young man that Harry just wants to hug, snog and cuddle with. Nobody knew Draco this much besides Pansy, Blaise, and Ivy and Harry plans to keep it that way, to cherish the moments he spends with him.

Harry remembered writing the letter to Sirius last night, it was still in the bedside table drawer on his side of the bed. Quietly, hoping the bed won't creak, he slowly removed Draco's hand from his waist, got up and opened the drawer silently. He peeked over at the sleeping Slytherin, sighing in relief as he was still asleep and turned back around to grab the envelope and quickly place it inside his robe pocket. He then made his way back into the bed quietly, still hoping the bed won't creak. He flinched as the bed creaked as he lay next to Draco. He bit his lip and felt warm arms wrap around him again, so he returned the favour by hugging back, or is it cuddling?

Draco slowly opened his eyes and yawned, causing Harry to try not to giggle at how adorable he sounds. The Slytherin was like a damn kitten and it warmed Harry's non-existent heart up. He moved closer so he was face to face with Draco. Draco slowly looked up and saw Harry's face very close to his own and he froze as he didn't know what to do. They were so close, just like the time they accidentally ran into one another in the corridors. They both felt themselves blush at how close they were, they could just move an inch closer and they would be kissing.

Harry decided to play a little prank on Draco, no matter how much it'd make him blush. He smiled and reached over to brush a few strands of Draco's blonde hair out of his eyes, even if his insides were fluttering with a trillion butterflies. "Good morning, sweetheart," he said amiably and leaned down, planting a little kiss on Draco's left cheek and it made the Slytherin's lips part a little in shock.

Draco blinked and smiled at him as he raised his hand to cup the cheek Harry had kissed. Merlin, he was feeling so warm and fuzzy right now and it was all because of Harry. He could feel his cheeks glowing with warmth and a blush rising up them. Is it a dream or is this... real? Although he hoped he wasn't dreaming. "Am I dreaming, or have I just woken up next to Harry Potter and he called me sweetheart?"

Harry took this as an advantage, and he watched as Draco licks his pink lips. "You're definitely dreaming," he told him in a tired voice and continued to caress Draco's hair. "If you weren't, I wouldn't be doing this." He twisted his torso to lean back down again, his eyes glancing up at those silver eyes, and back down to those pink lips, and back up again. He tilted his head to the side a little, licking his own lips, until he was only nose to nose with Draco.

Draco's silver eyes were sparkling with mixed emotions and it only made Harry lean further down until their lips were only inches away. He doesn't realize how hard his heart is thumping against his chest until he felt Draco's breath on his face. He apprehended what it looked like he was about to do, and he subconsciously wedged his knee in between Draco's thighs.

Draco blushed as he was feeling his pants suddenly tighten from the contact of Harry's knee touching his crotch, and what looked like Harry was about to kiss him. Merlin, but he wants that kiss. "I'm definitely dreaming," he whispered, and his breath ghosted on Harry's lips. Suddenly feeling a little aware that he really wanted to kiss Harry, and that the urge was burning him deeply within, he scooted back under the bedsheets, and lay there in the slight darkness, not knowing what to do and if it's a dream or not. "Wake me up whenever classes are about to start." 

Harry chuckled at the flustered boy and leaned up. His face felt entirely hot, but he knew he was blushing. This blonde Slytherin could always make him blush just by compliments, or sweet little actions, and even cheek and forehead kisses like last night. Oh, how he would kill to get another kiss from the Slytherin.

Draco pushed back the bedsheets to arm's length and looked at Harry with his sparkling silver eyes, not knowing if he is the real Harry or the dream Harry. "You know, should smile more," he told him in almost a dream-like tone as he was distracted by that smile Harry gave him.

Harry felt his blush darken in colour all because of that compliment from Draco. He has definitely heard this before. It was the first time he and Draco opened the Hufflepuff bedroom as he remembered. He knew it! Draco didn't say 'You should style more'. He said that he should smile more. He gave a wink at Draco and said, "Thanks, you should too."

Draco bit his lip and sat up, bedsheets still covering his legs. "Merlin, Harry..." he says and smiles at the bloke sitting beside him. "You don't know how you make me feel!" He just couldn't take this anymore. All year he's been wanting to kiss Harry and he feels like it should be now. He was alone with him, and nobody would be able to find them. He looked into Harry's emerald green eyes that stared back at him. He loves seeing this bloke with the familiar pink tinges to his cheeks.

For what seems like eternity's, they just stare directly into each other's eyes but most people would look at Harry's eyes and see green but at this very moment Draco see beautiful mountains and maps and thousands of miles of beautiful scenery surrounded by colours no one even knows exist and only he will ever see. He sees himself and he sees a future full of love as he looks at Harry's slightly parted lips. He knows what's about to happen as they both lean into each other in slow motion only breaking eye contact for a few seconds to look down at their lips with their hearts beating like mini drums and hammering against their chests.

Their mouths touch the slightest bit and Harry pulls away with anxiety but then they begin closing the gap even more and then gradually this small peck becomes this much more passionate kiss with its own lifeline surviving by the slight movements of their tongues dancing in their mouths. They were connected body and soul at this moment, the rest of the world spins so fast it becomes non-existent in their minds.

Harry's stomach flips and knotted as his knees became a little weak from the incredible sensation of Draco's lips on his own. They were so warm, and yet so soft that it caused his brain to completely shut down. Draco's kisses to him were like black holes pulling you in until you are lost. It was a sweet and loving kiss that made Harry want more.

Draco leans further in to hold Harry and keeps himself from melting into the bedsheets, their eyes are closed but he can see clearer than he ever has. It's as if Draco can feel fireworks blazing, glowing and igniting something within him. They both are completely and utterly in sync in this very moment, Draco can feel Harry's hands running through his hair and he's tugging as this moment couldn't be any more perfect. They both slow down and cautiously pull back. Draco opens his eyes first and he presses his lips together with a smile. That was the most amazing experience he has ever had, and his third kiss.

His first was with Pansy last year during Truth or Dare down in the common room one Sunday evening and it's when he discovered that he was definitely gay. There wasn't any spark of interest when kissing her, and her lips were just too small and supple for his liking. His second was with Blaise and that's definitely when he felt that spark of interest, but he never felt this incredible when kissing Blaise. It's just Harry who made him feel like this. Sure, he remembers his heart beating fast when he kissed Blaise, but with Harry's, it's more intense and the beats are faster. And there's this fluttery feeling he gets when around Harry, and he feels so nervous, and when kissing Harry, the flutter intensifies. It's just incredible because Harry makes his body feel this way and react a certain way.

Harry's just staring down at Draco's lips as he couldn't believe he had just been kissed by those incredible and soft lips. The lips he has kissed before when Draco was asleep, the lips which kissed his cheek and forehead. And it wasn't just Draco's lips he had been feeling. He felt an intense fluttery feeling deep within himself, and fireworks exploding somewhere within him too. "That was..." He tried to continue but he just could not. He was speechless and a little out of breath. He could still taste Draco in his mouth, and it lingered there like a candy's sweet flavour.

"The only word that I can come up with is incredible, Harry," Draco says with a not-so-obvious blush to his cheeks and neck. He rubs the side of his neck, smiling down at the Duna and says, "You're incredible, Harry."

Harry can't think at all, and he feels like he cannot breathe. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Draco had kissed him. Who would want to kiss a freak like him though? He was a damn freak, and he had the cuts and scars to prove it. "Yeah... um, do you have any of those vials of that hunger potion, or whatever it's called?" He wanted to change the topic as he didn't know what to say. He was feeling so many mixed emotions right now and it was clogging his brain.

Draco felt a little disappointed that they weren't going to talk about that amazing kiss they shared. Maybe Harry doesn't like him back the same way... That was sadly a possibility. But Harry blushes whenever he compliments him, and Harry did kiss him while he was sleeping in the Library's secret room. Feeling a little sad, he just nodded and pointed to his book bag. "Ten vials are left; you can keep them if you want," he says and Accioed his bag over to him for Harry. "It's so you don't have to come looking for me in the mornings. They last you about a week."

When Draco's bag was in arms reach, Harry grabbed it and searched the bag for the vials. "Thanks, Draco." Thankfully, he found one, unscrewed the cork from the top and drank the whole vial. It tasted a little like cherries which he didn't mind and when he was done, he put the cork back on and put it back in Draco's bag. He wiped around his mouth, careful not to wipe the kiss off if that was possible. He wanted to keep the kiss on his lips all day so he can remember it.

"It's no problem, Harry," Draco said and returned the smile. He sighs and sinks back down into the pillows, closing his eyes and thinking about that kiss with Harry. But one thing for sure, he wasn't going to tell Ivy about this. He will but not anytime soon.

"I'm going to get dressed..." Harry suddenly says and runs a hand through his dark messy hair. God, he won't be forgetting this morning with Draco at all. The Slytherin just filled him with light and love and such a strong emotion that he forgot he even had. He just felt like he was floating when kissing Draco which he never thought kisses could do. With Fred, he never felt like he was floating. It was just a kiss and even if there was a spark of interest, he didn't think kissing could make him feel this way.

Draco nodded and watched Harry walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He sighed as a couple of great things have happened to him this morning. One was sleeping with Harry; another one is waking up next to Harry just like a couple would and the other was flirting? He did recall saying Harry should smile more, but it's true he should smile more. Those beautiful soft kissable lips and oh, how he wants to snog them every morning. And he did! He kissed Harry and Harry kissed him back and he's so thrilled about it. He just can't stop smiling.

He watched as Harry exited the bathroom minutes later in those clothes that are too baggy for Harry and he wondered why he wears such garments. Doesn't he have clothes that fit him at all? That's what gave him an idea. He needs to go shopping. But he needs to find out Harry's size... He has no idea how he will find that out.

Harry caught the Slytherin staring at him and gave a small smile. "Are you coming to breakfast?" he asked and went over to grab his Firebolt from the wall beside Draco's Nimbus 2001. He needs to make a pit stop at Gryffindor Tower in his dorm room so he can put his Firebolt away. "I would dislike it if you weren't there, Draco."

Draco smiled and nodded, forgetting he's still in bed. He needs to rush back to the Slytherin dungeons and get dressed before students start getting up and heading down to breakfast. "I'll have to go back to the Slytherin common room as Ivy and Pansy are probably worrying about my whereabouts."

Harry nodded and opened the large dark blue and grey door. He glanced back over at Draco, giving him a smile from the night he spent with the Slytherin. "Okay, see you soon and thank you for the night, and the kiss." He swiftly turned on his heel, a little embarrassed at what he said and left the room.

Draco smiled and watched Harry leave thinking; I really, really like you. He was surprised to hear Harry thank him for the kiss. After all, it was an irresistible, amazing kiss. He got up from the bed, grabbed his clothes and headed into the bathroom to change his clothes, leaving the green pyjamas next to the red ones and made his way down to the Slytherin common room after getting his Nimbus 2001.

Harry had just exited the secret room in the library and was making his way to Gryffindor Tower. He put his hand in his pocket and felt something with edges. The letter to Sirius. He quickly changed course and headed for the Owlery. All he wanted was for this to be quick so he can head back to the dorm and get dressed. He gave Hedwig the letter, telling her it's for Padfoot, and watched her take off into the December morning sky. He then rushed off to Gryffindor to get changed.

Everyone was slowly getting up when Harry made it into the dorm room and that gave him enough time to rush getting dressed and hiding his Firebolt in his Trunk for the time being. After dressing in his school robes and uniform, he then went to breakfast. He was nearly at the Great Hall until he crashed into someone, or that someone crashed into him.

"Sorry, Harry," Cedric said, looking down at the young Gryffindor with concern. He was worried he might have made Harry fall down just like when students get pat on the back by Professor Hagrid. "Are you alright?"

Harry let out a sigh and looked up at Cedric. All that was on his mind was the kiss with Draco and he couldn't get rid of that memory. He didn't want the memory to leave actually. He doesn't think he would be able to concentrate in class now. He's just too ecstatic that Draco had kissed him. It had been a dream for a very long time, and it had come true!

"Um... Harry?" said Cedric and waved his hands over Harry's eyes. He knows the Gryffindor must be deep in thought but what was going through that mind of his at the moment? It's like Harry had a brain fart or something. "Earth to Harry?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and the thought left his mind for a second. "Yes Cedric, I'm fine," He said and tried to smile at the Hufflepuff to tell him it's okay but didn't know how well he did. It turns out he really was smiling which he knew was from the kiss.

"So, how are you and Malfoy?" Cedric asked, intrigued at the thought of the friendship blooming into something more. He, Cho, and Joshua keep talking about it in secret over and over. They have placed bets on who would make the first move first. "Are you guys finally-" but he was cut off.

"No, I-Uh- Um-," Harry stutters and rubs at his neck, cursing himself for stuttering in front of this older bloke who would know a lot about relationships and dating. "I wish but no, we're... Uh... I kissed him, but it was before the first task. Oh, and we sort of kissed each other this morning and can you please not tell anyone..."

Cedric cupped a hand over his mouth in surprise. He never expected this information. He's so happy for Harry and Draco, they have no idea. "Merlin's Beard!" he said excitingly with a dazed look at Harry. He could have bounced on his feet with excitement. "Tell me everything! And yes, I promise not to tell anyone."

Harry smiled at the memory, an actual smile. How can this happen? It is usually so hard to give people a real smile. "I kissed him when he was under a sleeping potion," he began and felt his face warm up a little. "I kind of caressed his hair and felt the need to... you know? kiss him. And then this morning... we kissed, and it was honestly so incredible. It started off sweet and slow but then it turned into tongues. I can't exactly French kiss, so I left that for Draco to do."

Cedric nodded with a charming smile, loving hearing this lovely story on Harry's perspective. He also understood Harry and French kissing. He wasn't good at it when he was younger until Joshua showed him how to do it as Josh had some French heritage. "Aww!" he sighed with awe. He chuckled and poke Harry playfully and repeatedly. "So, when will I see you guys snogging in the corridors?"

"Cedric!" Harry said quietly and a little shyly while glancing around him for anyone walking by. He didn't want anybody to hear their conversation. Merlin, save him if Draco was listening to them. Oh, that would be embarrassing if Draco heard everything that he was telling Cedric.

Cedric smiled at the younger boy, wondering why Harry and Draco aren't a thing now. They did kiss and that's technically supposed to mean something. "I'm just messing with you. But still, when are you guys going to finally date because I'm surprised nobody noticed the chemistry between you two. Always wanting the other's attention, following the other around everywhere. Oh, I could just go on and write an entire essay about you two."

"Oh uh... Yeah," Harry said and felt a rush of heat rise up from his neck and up to his cheeks, accompanying the warmth was a noticeable blush. Now he is the surprised one. If Cedric can see it then who else can?

Cedric laughed at the lovestruck Gryffindor. It took a moment for Cedric to find the words to say to Harry about the next task, "By the way, have you figured out the egg yet?"

"No, I haven't," Harry said with a shake of his head and he acknowledged the sigh Cedric gave him. Truthfully, he hasn't thought about the egg at all which he knows he should be focusing on it pretty soon since the next task is after Christmas.

"Oh, well..." Cedric said and leaned closer to Harry. "You know the Prefects bathroom on the fifth floor?" he asked in a quiet voice. Harry had to think about where it was at first, but then he nodded. "Take a bath with the egg. The password to enter is 'Pine-Fresh'." He winked at Harry and walked off, making Harry blush a little and rush off to breakfast.

Meanwhile...

"What!" Ivy said in a hushed and excited tone. They were down in the Slytherin common room in the far end of the room where their spot is. She was grinning proudly because of her cousin. "You slept with him!"

"Yes," Draco said quietly and looked around the common room cautiously, seeing nobody in sight. He gave a sigh of relief. "And if you're thinking that Harry and I... We didn't! So, don't go thinking about those things."

"Thank Merlin!" Pansy said at this intriguing conversation. She couldn't believe it, but she wanted to hear more. "When are you two going to start dating! You're already sleeping together, what's next? Snogging in the corridors?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at Pansy, but he couldn't help the blush from rising up to his cheeks as he remembered the event that happened in the Ravenclaw bedroom that involved lips and tongue. He honestly couldn't get the memory out of his head, but he didn't want it to leave his mind.

Pansy held up her arms in surrender but with a smirk "Fine, whatever," she said boldly and dropped her hands to her lap. She needed food anyway, and so do her friends. "Let's just go down for breakfast." Draco nodded and was the first one out the Slytherin common room.

*****

Harry entered the Great Hall, searching for somewhere to sit at the Gryffindor Table. Fred and George waved at Harry who was sitting next to Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. Harry gave a little wave back and walked over, sitting next to Hermione who was facing the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. He watched as Draco, Ivy and Pansy walked in and sat at the Slytherin table.

"Good Morning, Harry," Hermione said while she dished herself a bowl of warm porridge. She had a new book with her this morning: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And she had her purple bookmark in one of the pages closest to the front cover.

"Hello, Harry," Ginny said.

"'Mornin 'Arry," Ron said with a mouth full of food.

"Good Morning, Harry," Fred and George chorused.

"Morning, guys," Harry said and was looking around the table for something to eat. He was pretty hungry and felt like he could eat a whole cow. He grabbed a piece of toast, smeared strawberry jam on it and started eating it. He was a bit happy that he could eat something and not want to throw it up anymore, thanks to Draco. He enjoyed eating the toast, it was good and didn't taste like ashes.

Hermione gave Ron a disgusted look for even talking with his mouth full of food. It was disgusting, to say the least. "Ron!" she scolded with narrowed eyes. "Where are your manners?!"

"In my stomach," Ron said with a distracted smirk as he was too busy eating and stuffing his face with food. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, clearly not liking this one bit while nobody else seemed to mind.

Harry ate his toast, pretending to ignore his friends' bickering as he was too lovestruck to laugh at them. He looked up from his toast, seeing Draco staring back. He watched as the blonde-haired wizard, known as Draco Malfoy, had pink tinges appear to his cheeks and quickly looked away.

He then looked down at all the Slytherin's robes and saw the familiar badges that said, 'Support Cedric Diggory - The Real Hogwarts Champion!' He caught and Goyle Crabbe looking at him and he glared their way. Crabbe touched his badge with a sneer and the words changed to 'Potter Stinks!', in Slytherin green bold letters.

Harry sighed sadly and played with the toast on his plate. He didn't feel very hungry after that, but he tried his best to finish his breakfast. He looked up again and met eyes with a certain blonde wizard. Emerald Green eyes met Silver eyes yet again, both boys gave each other small smiles and looked away blushing.

Hermione nudged Harry gently on the shoulder, trying to make him realize he has been staring at Malfoy for quite some time. "Harry, you're staring at the Slytherin table again," she whispered as she doesn't want the others hearing the conversation she needs to start. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk with me about?"

"No," Harry said, feeling the weight of his depression pull him back down into the familiar darkness. His expression pained and his eyes clouded a little. Where had his slight happiness gone to? This morning after the kiss he was okay but now... He doesn't know what happened. Was it those badges?

Hermione, did Fred and George tell you about the friendship or did I?" Harry asked her as he doesn't remember that much from days and weeks ago. "I forgot." The only things he remembers are the times he and Draco have spent time together.

Hermione shook her head at the first question. "You did tell me Harry, and it's pretty easy to tell to be honest. Always staring at him, not to mention he does stare back at you. He is probably on your mind all day and night; you guys smile at one another. I see the way you look at him, especially in the classes you nearly snogged in."

Yet again, Harry was at a loss for words. He recalls Cedric saying something similar to what Hermione told him and a lot of the things she said is true. He does like to stare at Draco when he's not looking, and Draco is on his mind a lot.

Hermione nudged Harry gently on his arm again. She enjoys hearing about Harry's love life. "You know you can tell me anything you want, whether it be crushes, boys or homework."

Harry nodded and looked away from her so he could frown. He did want to talk about Draco a lot but knew to keep it inside him. Just like how he keeps his depression bottled up inside, so nobody can find out about his problem and try to make him stop. Harry really didn't want to stop his cutting, it helped him a lot.

Hermione saw her friend zone out of reality and into his own thoughts. She furrowed her eyes worriedly at Harry but left him to his thoughts, knowing he doesn't like being disturbed in this state. So, she continued eating her porridge and sipping her green tea.

As soon as Harry knew it, breakfast was over. Time was running out for finding someone to go with him to the Yule Ball. He wants to ask Draco but every time he's with the blonde he just forgets about everything that will be happening in the future and focuses on the present. "I'll see you guys soon," he told Ron and Hermione, and they both nodded and with the rest of the students except a few who remained behind, made their way to the exit of the Hall. "Fred and George, can I speak with you please?"

"Sure thing, Harry," George said with a smile, a little curious about why Harry asked for only he and his twin instead of some other person or persons. But whatever it is it must be important. "How are you doing this fine morning?"

"-And what would you like to speak with us about?" asked Fred who finished the sentence for him. He too was curious about what Harry wants to speak to them about. It's like a mystery and he and his twin love a good mystery.

Harry sat down with Fred and George, drawing figure eights on the wood of the table with his finger. He looked up at the twins with a forced smile, knowing he can ask one of these blokes easily. "I actually wanted to ask if any of you are free for the Yule Ball?"

Fred and George looked at each other and smirked, not thinking that they would be asked to be Harry's Yule Ball partner ever. "Freddo here is free," said George, pointing to his twin beside him. "I'm going with a Hufflepuff guy named Steven."

"Congrats, Georgie. I wish you fun!" Harry said and rubbed a hand self-consciously through his hair. Then he turned to Fred. "So, Freddie? Want to be my Yule Ball partner? I was counting on you know who to ask me, but he hasn't yet. And I'm not very... I don't think I'm able to ask him. I lose my bravery when with him at times and often I forget about the Yule Ball when I'm with him."

George chuckled and decided to mix things up a little and add in some humous. "Oh, we didn't know Voldemort is coming to the Yule Ball," he said and looked at his twin, raising his eyebrows in amusement. "I bet he's going to wear the dress; don't you think so Forge?"

Harry tried to chuckle at that joke, but he could only give a small smile. Voldemort coming to the Yule Ball would be Hella disastrous. Not to mention murders on the spot. The thought of dancing till he's dead with Voldemort crossed his mind and he shuddered.

Fred laughed at the image of Voldemort wearing a pink dress. He can see it in his mind, definitely. "Voldemort will definitely wear the dress, Gred. And yes, I'd love to go to the Yule Ball with you, Harry. We can make your Slytherin prince jealous if you'd like."

Harry gave a smile and sighed. Who he wanted to go with is Draco but he just doesn't have the bravery when he needed it. "Great!" He pointed at Fred and wriggles his finger. Hopefully, that was Fred he pointed to. "See you in the Gryffindor common room at 6:00 on the dot."

Fred nodded at the time he would easily pick Harry up from. However, he had his own plans to deal with right now. "6 on the dot it is. However, I want you to go ask Malfoy to the Yule Ball, Harry. Who knows if he's going alone or not so ask him? If you want George and I can be in the background and cheering silently for you."

Harry was a little shocked. He didn't think this would happen. All he had thought was asking Fred or George to be his Yule Ball partner, one of the twins agreeing to go with him, and then he goes off to class. Easy. But now Fred made it harder on him. How great.

Eventually, Harry nodded at the suggestion, already feeling his nerves increasing within him. Why must he be given these tasks both dangerous and challenging? At least this wasn't life-threatening. "Alright, I'll ask him," he told the twins with a defeated sigh. "It's search for Draco time."

"Harry, Harry, Harry," said George with a shake of his head, a little disappointed that Harry's forgotten about the one thing he has that can find someone in a matter of seconds. "You're forgetting that we don't need to search when you can just use the Marauders Map."

"Oh," said Harry. He has forgotten about that Map at times and he remembered he keeps it in his robe pocket. He doesn't exactly keep it there, but he does recall putting it there for some reason. A reason he has forgotten about. He reached into the pocket in his robe and pulled out the map only to open it while George points his wand at the map and Harry says, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Hogwarts appeared on the map and with it, thousands of names of students and teachers that was walking about in the castle. The three Gryffindor's looked closely at all the names, trying to spot Draco on the map. They spotted Crabbe and Goyle walking together through the seventh floor of the castle. Blaise Zabini was in the library walking down the aisles, and Theodore Nott was down in the Slytherin common room. Then they spot Draco with Pansy and Ivy walking through the second floor of the castle and towards the Transfiguration Courtyard.

"There's your prince, Harry," said Fred and gave Harry a little tap on the arm with the back of his hand. "You better go after him before someone else does. And of course, we will be right behind you when you ask him."

"He's not my prince," Harry says as he gets up and takes the map with him. Well, Draco's not his prince yet. Will he ever be? Harry doesn't know as the only way that can happen is if he asks Draco out. "But let's go. I don't want to lose him."

"Someone's eager," said George, smirking and elbowing his twin hard in the arm. Fred hit his twin back to get back at him and rubbed at his arm.

"Oh, shut up," said Harry coolly as they exited the Great Hall and made their way to the second Floor, Harry still had his map in his hands and was watching Draco's every move. He wondered what Draco was talking with Ivy and Pansy about. Was it humorous, serious, or intriguing?

They followed the stairs up to the second floor of the castle and headed towards where Draco was going with his two friends. Rounding a corner, the three Gryffindors spotted Ivy, Draco, and Pansy talking to each other. Fred and George quickly moved back behind the corner to hide, so it was only Harry who was seen in the corridor.

Harry swallows as he doesn't feel the presence of Fred and George behind him to give him strength. He sighs but as he did so, the three Slytherins turned their heads to look at them. Harry gave Draco a nervous smile, but then he feels a force pull him back and to the side and realized it was the twins. "What? You told me to go after him and I was about to."

"Presentation, Harry," said Fred and fixed Harry's tie by straightening and tightening it a little until it looked professional. He took the map from Harry too so it's unseen. It was quite a priced possession.

"You have to look your best for him," said George and while his twin fixed Harry's tie, he fixed Harry's collar and shirt. "There. Now go!" He pushed Harry lightly back around the corner, so he was in the Slytherin's sight.

Harry smiles at Draco once again and sighs. How could he say this? He didn't exactly want Ivy and Pansy hearing what he wanted to tell Draco. "Um... Draco, may I speak with you alone please?" He looked at the girls, giving them apologetic looks as he knew he was just making them curious.

Ivy nodded at Harry, giving him a smile and placed her arm around Pansy's shoulders, leading her away from Draco and Harry. She had a feeling she needed to refrain from talking today if she thought of what Harry could ask Draco. She hoped she was right about this.

Draco watched his friends disappear down the corridor, making sure they are out of sight. He looked back at Harry with one of his charming smiles that always made Harry feel all warm inside. "What would you like to talk about, Harry?"

"I- um," stuttered Harry and he rubs at his arm, looking sideways at the floor. Come on, this shouldn't be too hard to say. Where's that Gryffindor bravery gone? "I actually wanted to ask you if you would be my date to the Yule Ball."

Draco's mouth fell open a little out of surprise. Harry had just asked him to be his date to the Yule Ball when it should have been him to ask Harry all along. But then he felt a little guilty as he didn't ask Harry in time. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry but I'm going with Pansy," he told him a little regrettably and scratched at the back of his neck. "We're going as friends, Pansy and I." He added that just so Harry knows it's nothing serious.

At least he told Harry what he and Pansy are going as so Harry doesn't feel bad or jealous. He went up to Harry and grabbed his hands, closing his own around Harry's. "I would have loved to go with you, Harry. I really would have," he said sweetly, and looked down at Harry's lips. He bit his lip at that memory from earlier. "But I also need to think about the people who would see me with you, Harry. I don't exactly want my father knowing that I took the Wizarding Worlds Savior to the Yule Ball. Not even Crabbe and Goyle should know. But if I had the chance, I could ask Pansy, since she is my best friend, if she could go with someone else." He was sure Pansy wouldn't mind. Actually, Pansy would have screamed at him to go with Harry. Same with Ivy. He's sure Ivy and Pansy would go together anyway so they wouldn't be left out.

"No, don't ask Pansy to do that," Harry said, shaking his head at the suggestion. But he understood why Draco doesn't exactly want to go with him all because of his father. "I don't want your friend to go to the Yule Ball dateless." He knows Pansy and Draco are just friends which relieved him, and he is sure Pansy isn't into Draco. Well, he hoped Pansy wasn't into Draco.

"Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all," Draco said and could see the uncertain look on Harry's face. He just wanted to scream out to Pansy that he didn't need to go with her anymore and that Harry just asked him. If only it were that easy.

"I'd rather not interfere, Draco," Harry says. Of course, Draco has a bloody date already. At least it's not a real date. That position is for him, and not anyone else. "Um... I'll see you in Magical Creatures."

He was about to turn around and leave but Draco stopped him with a "Wait!" He looked into Draco's silver eyes, waiting for words to come out of that perfect mouth but nothing did. Instead, Draco surprised him by kissing his upper left cheek, leaving him speechless and blushing.

"I'll hopefully be seeing you in Magical Creatures," Draco said and gave Harry a solemn look. He was blushing a little from the kiss he gave Harry, and he didn't mind if Harry saw it. "If I don't see you, I'll be worrying about where you are, so you better be there."

Harry chuckled a little at Draco's confession. "I'll be there, I promise..." he told him earnestly. "I um... I have to go. Goodbye, Draco." With a wave, he went back around the corner and grabbed his map from the twins who both smirked at him.

"Are we going to talk about that kiss Freddie, and I witnessed?" George asked Harry and his head tilted slightly to the side with satisfaction. He enjoyed watching that scene with his twin, even if it was a little sad that it seemed Harry didn't get what he wanted. He's looking forward to more of those kissing scenes in the future.

"No," Harry drawled with an obvious blush on his neck and face. Why couldn't they shut up? Honestly... "I'm heading back up to Gryffindor to get my books. Are you coming or going to your classes?"

"We'll come," said Fred with a nod. He and George placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and started walking towards the stairs. "To the Gryffindor common room!"

"No," said a young girl's voice from beside them. Harry, Fred, and George looked down at Savannah, and she was with her best friend Chelsea and a girl from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. "It's to infinity and beyond!" she beamed, and Chelsea laughed from beside her.

Fred and George just blinked at the girls, confused with what they said. Harry laughed a little as he knew exactly where that line came from. Dudley had only two of the Toy Story movies until he grew out of it. The DVD's are still somewhere hidden in a box or in the DVD cupboard in the lounge room.

"It is quite a fine morning today, isn't it?" It was another voice which everyone looked behind Harry at the Headmaster who was gleefully smiling. "Don't you all have classes to go to in half an hour?"

"Hi Gandalf," said Chelsea and hoped she won't get told off for calling the headmaster the famous Wizard from Lord of the Rings, one of her favourite movies. She's heard many others call Dumbledore Gandalf and get away with it and she wanted to try for herself.

Dumbledore sighed merrily and smiled. "It seems we have some muggle-raised children here, don't we?" he asked the two young girls in front of him but besides Harry, and they nodded at him. "I see." He waved his wand above his head in a circle and in a blinding flash, his outfit changed. Instead of his midnight blue robes he had been wearing, he was now in a white robe and a white pointy hat which only Harry, Chelsea, and Savannah knew the costume of the character Dumbledore dressed as.

Savannah and Chelsea's eyes widened in surprise and they looked at each other. They didn't think their wizard headmaster would actually know of Gandalf. They wanted so bad to ask the headmaster if he could conjure them booth up some Gandalf robes but was a little shy to ask. The other two girls just gave the Headmaster odd looks.

"I'm not done yet," said Dumbledore and raised his wand to point it at the ceiling. Another flash lit up the corridor, and Dumbledore's wand grew longer and more cylindrical. He smiled at his staff and placed the end on the ground. "You shall not pass! Unless of course if you're willing to go to class early."

Harry tried not to laugh but it was too late. He just couldn't believe this at all. Dumbledore even knew the lines of Gandalf. Fred and George started laughing with Harry, but they didn't know what they were laughing at besides what Dumbledore was wearing. It was just plain white robes with a funny hat.

"Yeah... I'm going to class," said Harry with a quick scratch to his head. It was just weird seeing your wizard headmaster all dressed up in a muggle costume. Where did he even get it? "See you!" And he was off for a quick pit stop at Gryffindor Tower to grab his books for Magical Creatures class which starts in less than ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Draco was still where he was in the corridor near the Transfiguration courtyard with his back to the wall. He was smiling and fanning himself as he thought of walking into the Yule Ball linked arms with Harry. It could have happened but now it must be too late. One thing he needs to do is tell Ivy and Pansy this so that is what he did after having to find them. They weren't very far at all. "Pansy, Ivy!" he called to the two heads he spotted in the Transfiguration Courtyard.

Ivy got to her feet, pulling Pansy up with her and they went over to him. "What did Harry talk with you about, Dray?" she asked him, intrigued in what Harry talked to her cousin about. She had a feeling it was important, and she hoped it was.

Draco smiled at the floor and ran a hand through his hair. "Harry asked me to be his date to the Yule Ball," he told them, and he watched as Ivy and Pansy bloody squealed and hugged each other. After the hug, Pansy cupped her mouth with her hands and bounced from foot to foot while Ivy bounced on her tippytoes out of excitement.

"Well, what did you say?" Pansy asked him with a loud voice, and she was moving about as she couldn't stay still. She physically couldn't stop moving from this information Draco gave her and Ivy. Now she needs to tell Blaise this, but only Blaise.

"I told him the truth, that you and I are going together as friends," Draco said and to his disliking, he got a smack on the arm from Ivy. "Ow!" He rubbed at his now-sore arm. "What was that for?!"

"Pansy wouldn't have minded if you were to choose Harry over her to go to the ball you know," Ivy said and she flashed him a smile which didn't reach her eyes at all. Draco better have known this. "Wouldn't you, Pansy?"

"I wouldn't mind at all," Pansy stated with a shrug. "In fact, I would have yelled at you to say yes and to drop me immediately. It was sweet of you to think of me first, but you should have gone with Harry. You love him, so it will make more sense if you go with him."

Draco smiled a little at hearing the word 'love' and how it associates with Harry. But does he love Harry in that lover way? It's a strong word and love had a few meanings. "How would you know of-"

Ivy sighed at her cousin. How did he not know this about love? "Draco," she said softly and looked at Pansy for a second then looked back at him, smiling as she believes she knows something he doesn't. "Crushes don't exactly last this long. They last about a month or two, but it's been more than that. You love Harry. I can see it in your eyes, and the way you talk to him. If you want Harry, then go get him. Pansy and I won't be there to help or guide you. It's all on you."

Draco nodded and thought about what Ivy told him. He hasn't thought about crushes and how long they ask. He didn't even know that about crushes. He does love Harry and so much more than a best friend. "Thanks for the rational support, guys," he said a little sarcastically and crossed his arms. He knows he can ask Harry out even though it's bloody nerve-wracking. "And I'm sure I can do all this on my own." He did kiss Harry after all, and it will be something he'll remember forever. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Pansy and I have a class to go to."

Ivy sighed and let them go to class, and wished she were two years younger so she could be in their class. "Bye then!" She then remembered she had a spare instead of class right now. She grinned and thought a trip to the library to read would be quite nice.

*****

As Harry got down to Hagrid's hut, he saw his Gryffindor classmates and the Slytherins all huddled around something sparkly. Once he got closer, he realized he was staring at goblin gold. Harry stood beside Ron and Hermione, giving them each a fright like he just appeared out of nowhere.

"Seriously Harry, don't do that!" Hermione hissed at him and calmed her racing heart with a few deep breaths. She's lucky her dad taught her how to calm herself when having panic attacks, not that she's had any.

"Yeah, mate," said Ron and clutched at his heart. He gave his chest a hard rub from under his uniform, feeling lucky that he didn't have a heart attack at all. "You're going to give us a heart attack."

"Sorry," Harry said with a pained expression and he frowned a little. But right now, he had to tell Hermione something quite important. "Um... Hermione, a word please?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and looked at Ron who shrugged and walked over to Seamus, Neville, and Dean. 

Harry rubbed at his face a little bit, but then loosely crossed his arms and led her over to a bunch of trees. "So... um, I asked Fred to be my Yule Ball partner," he told her, and he watched as Hermione shook her head and knew it was because of disappointment. She opened her mouth to speak but Harry cut her off, "I know, I know. You're disappointed that it wasn't Draco I asked but... Fred actually asked me to go find Draco and ask him so that's what I did."

"Thank god Fred asked you to do that," Hermione said with a sigh of relief and a small smile grew slowly on her face. "So, what did he say? Was it a yes or a no? Please tell me it's a-"

"He told me that he's going with Pansy but as a friend," Harry said and sagged against the tree he was standing beside. "But he did say that he would ditch Pansy since they are friends and go with me. I kind of disagreed with that suggestion though. I just... I didn't want to interfere. Whoever asked first..."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said and covered a hand over her mouth, smiling at him. "That's so sweet of you." She knew why Harry didn't agree to the option. But he should have fought for Draco if he really does care for him. "Harry, you really should have agreed to go with Draco. Like he said, Pansy would be happy to go with someone else so you can go with Draco."

"Yes, but Draco told me that he's not too keen on having his father finding out about me and him," Harry told her with a slight frown, wishing this could all be easier. Would it be easier if he wasn't the bloody Savior to the wizarding world? "I understand that, of course. I shouldn't have asked him anyway."

"Harry, you really shouldn't-" but she was cut off by Ron coming over with Seamus, Dean, and Neville. Did they want anything? Do they have something to say? She and Harry are having an important discussion and would like to not get interrupted.

"Come on guys," said Dean, and with Seamus, he led the two back into the class group. "Class is starting quite soon just to let you know. And we're sorry to interrupt you."

"Right," said Harry through his teeth and looked over at Draco from the tree. The blonde Slytherin was talking to Crabbe and Goyle. He glanced down at those lips that kissed him this morning and smiled a little, remembering the feel of them on his own lips. Oh, and that delicious tongue of Draco's that twined with his own. He felt a little thirsty now.

"As I said before-," Hermione whispered to Harry but was cut off. She groaned silently to herself and hoped there would be time after class to chat with Harry.

"Bet Weasley wouldn't mind getting ahold of some of this gold," Draco decided to say as he knows Crabbe and Goyle are getting a little suspicious about why he hasn't done any insulting lately. He had to say something though even if he knew Harry was listening. "Salazar knows his family needs it!"

Unfortunately, Ron, who was a few meters to the side Draco heard his rude comment. He narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin and spoke in a sharp tone, "Go buy yourself an island, Malfoy!"

Harry ignored the rude comments from Draco to his best friend. He didn't know how to help Ron, and Hermione wasn't doing anything to stop this. It was just a Ron versus Draco fight. Harry didn't want to but in because he didn't want to get insulted. He wouldn't be able to take the insults, even from Draco.

Draco turned around to face Ron and crossed his arms over his chest proudly. Crabbe, Goyle and Nott doing the same while Pansy and Blaise frown and take a step backwards in different directions. "I've got an island, thank you very much," he lied, knowing how much of even a little insult can anger the Weasel. Why would he have a private island somewhere when he has manors in some parts of the world? He gave Harry an apologetic frown to tell him he was sorry for insulting his friend.

Harry gave a sad nod back, thanking Draco for the non-verbal apology. Why would he insult Ron at all? It's easy not to unless he has some bloody good reason for it. Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore gave Harry smirks and changed their badges from 'Support Cedric Diggory - The Real Hogwarts Champion', to 'Potter Stinks!'

Harry frowned and scratched at his cuts hard from under his sleeves, hoping it would give him a painful enough feeling to numb him. It did, he felt the wave of numbness hit him which he felt satisfied with. He pondered when the last time he cut was. Was it days ago? Weeks? No, it was days ago.

Ron rolled his eyes at Draco, watching him furtively. "Of course, you have," he said bitterly, his eyes tightening. "Your daddy's little princess, aren't you?" So, he smirked, seeing the anger show itself clear on the Slytherin's face.

Draco's face grew hot with shame and guilt. He knew Weasel drew the line, that is not something to say to a damn Malfoy. If only his father was here to hear all this. "What?! I- I would never!" he yelled but tried to keep his anger at ease just for Harry.

Ron's stare at Malfoy lacked warmth from the expression on Malfoy's face and he turned to his best friends, feeling proud of himself. "What do you think we'll learn about today?" he asked his friends like nothing happened, no fights or insults thrown at each other.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend and huffed. Wasn't it obvious to what they're learning about? What creature likes gold and would take it if they could? "Well, obviously we're going to learn about Nifflers."

Harry ignored Hermione rant about what they were going to do and stared mindlessly at the pile of gold, watching carefully as something moved from inside. He was about to dig into the pile of gold, but Hagrid came out of his hut with a big brown bag of something that looked quite heavy.

"Well, 'ello there everyone!" Hagrid said, smiling at his class. "Glad yer all could make it." He turned to Hermione with a smile. "'Ermione, I'm sure yer can tell us abou' Nifflers?"

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Yes, Hagrid."

Goyle mimicked Hermione in a girly voice, "Yes, Hagrid." Crabbe and Nott snickered at their friend, finding it funny even if the rest of the class didn't.

Hermione ignored the rude ignorant Slytherin and began telling the class about the creature they will be learning about. "A Niffler is a magical beast with a long snout and a coat of black, fluffy fur. They are attracted to shiny things, which made them wonderful for locating treasure, but that also meant that they could wreak havoc if kept or set loose indoors. Nifflers, in general, are usually harmless."

"Very well done, 'Ermione!" said Hagrid and put the bag he was holding down on the floor for use. "So, in these very mounds of treasure are Niffler'z. Grab some gold everyone and lure a Niffler out for yerselves."

Everyone lined up to Hagrid, waiting to get their piece of gold though the Slytherins were a little lazy with doing so. Finally, when everyone got a piece of gold, they all stood around the mounds of gold, waiting to lure their own Niffler.

Harry stood in front of a mound with Hermione, making a trail of gold lead towards them. It took a few minutes but a Niffler had crawled its way out of a mound and followed Harry's gold trail while sniffing the gold to make sure it's real. The Niffler collected every bit of gold and put it in its pouch. As it rounded a corner, collecting the last bits of gold, Harry had grabbed it. He held the Niffler to his chest, stroking it softly and slowly.

"Naww, these guys remind me of Guinea Pigs," Hermione said while booping the Niffler on the nose with her nose. She smiled at the Niffler and its little squeak it made. "Except for the stealing gold part. Isn't that right my little pipsqueak?"

Harry faked a smile at his friend as he stroked his own Niffler. It was a cute little thing but not as cute as Draco, if he was being honest with himself. He wonders if the Malfoy's ever had Niffler problems in their vaults, and how they would stop the infestation. What he believes would be just adorable and heart-melting is putting a Niffler on Draco's shoulder and seeing what it would do. If only there were white Nifflers, then that would be something.

So far throughout the 50-minute lesson, most of the Gryffindors and some Slytherins could lure a Niffler out from the mounds of Leprechaun gold. Hagrid clapped at his class's work and was so proud of each and every one of his students. "Well done, yeh lot! If I could, I'd let yeh all keep yer Nifflers but that's not my decision to decide. They're under strict ministry laws not ter be kept as pets."

Lavender frowned at the news. She wanted to take one home with her, so she has another animal to add to her collection of pets. She already had a lot of muggle animals such as bunnies, hamsters, llamas, and horses. The other animals she has are Pygmy Puffs and a Crup.

Pansy was holding her Niffler upside down whilst poking it on the beak and stomach, waiting for something to happen like it would explode into candies or do something impossible like sprout wings and fly away.

Harry and Hermione got a last good look at their Nifflers and put them back in their mounds of gold. They were disappointed they didn't get to spend more time with the Nifflers, or even keep them even if they're not permitted to be kept as pets.

"Well, bye-bye Niffy," Harry said sadly and held the Niffler in front of him. His Niffler blinked and gave a sad sigh, making Harry frown like he could feel the Nifflers sadness. It was like a wave of sound, but he could feel it.

"Goodbye my little pipsqueak," Hermione said with a tired sigh and gave the Niffler she had a nice scratch on its furry head. Hermione's Niffler shook its foot, really liking the pat it was getting. The little gesture made Hermione chuckle.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that Dumbledore's dressed as Gandalf," Harry told her when he placed his Niffler back onto a pile of gold beside him. He probably won't forget it. Sometimes he just doesn't see how cool Dumbledore can be when he's not sending him back to the Dursleys for the summer break.

"What?" Hermione asked him and her voice grew a little louder. She had a bemused smile on her face and couldn't help but chuckle as she could see very clearly the picture in her head. Professor Dumbledore could be an excellent Gandalf. "Oh, that's honestly so wonderful! Oh my god, I have the perfect idea. I should ask Professor Dumbledore if we can dress up as our favourite characters for a day. Consider it Book Week like we did in Primary School."

"Hermione, you have the best ideas," Harry said who displayed a wide grin on his face. He watched Hermione's Niffler jump out of her arms and disappear into the mounds of gold. "You should totally do that! I'm sure Dumbledore would love it."

"I heard something about Gandalf?" It was Dean who came up to them with a Niffler on his shoulder and it seemed to please Seamus as his cheeks were a little pink. "Sorry, whenever I hear something about Lord of the Rings I always end up in the conversation."

"It's alright," said Harry with a wave of his hand in dismissal. "And yeah, Dumbledore has dressed up as Gandalf. It's because a young Muggle-born named Chelsea called him that. Dumbledore didn't even seem mad. He just said a non-verbal spell which changed his robes into Gandalf's robes and replaced his normal hat with a white pointy one. Just like Gandalf's. Oh, and he somehow transfigured his wand into Gandalf's staff which he then said, 'You shall not pass!' Honestly, I was laughing so hard from it."

Dean and Hermione started laughing joyfully at the information, and Seamus just stared at Dean in a loving way. Harry could tell Seamus wanted a hug and probably a kiss from Dean. It was frankly quite sweet seeing his dormmate look so much in love with his other dormmate. It warmed his heart a little.

"When class ends I am so going to go find Dumbledore and have a look at Gandalf myself," said Dean and when seeing the look on Seamus' face, he chuckled and quickly gave him a pinch on the bottom. It made the Irish Gryffindor beside him nearly squirm and quickly hid it with a hiss. "I'm going to have a chat with him and find out how he knows about Lord of the Rings."

Harry, unfortunately, noticed what Dean had done to Seamus and rolled his eyes a little at the couple. He really didn't need to see any of that honestly. "Do that, and make sure to tell us when you have done talking with him."

"Of course!" Dean assured him with a quick nod. "Even I wouldn't miss it for the world. But..." He turned so he faced Seamus and cupped those blushing cheeks he adores so much. "My whole world is right here," he added and gave a quick kiss to Seamus' parted lips.

Hermione squealed a little but cupped her hand over her mouth to stop the loud noise of her excited squeals as she just watched Dean kiss Seamus. It was beautiful seeing two people so in love with each other.

Seamus' blush deepened in colour from the compliment and the kiss. He smiled at his boyfriend and reaches up to bring Dean's hands down so he could intertwine them with his own. "Is breá liom tú, a Dhéan," he spoke in his native language which confused Harry and Hermione.

Dean smiled at what Seamus told him. It's something he hears every day, but mainly in English. It seems his boyfriend's a little shy to say it in front of two other people. Not for long. "I love you too, Seamus." That made Hermione cry with jubilant tears and she continued wiping her falling tears on the sleeve of her robe. She eventually stopped crying and saw Harry staring over at the Slytherins. She knew who he was staring at and she rolled her eyes at him. 

Finally, the class had finished, and everyone left for lunch. Except for Harry, he didn't feel hungry at all as his depression had weighed him back down. He just realized how bad of a friend he was to Ron, not helping him with Draco. He felt guilty, so foolish, and stupid. He really should have helped his best mate, but now he feels utterly bad.

What kind of a friend am I? He thought darkly to himself and dug his nails deeper into his arms. That sharp pain made him focus on where he was going. He knew what he had to do, that was to get his new sharp friend out. I don't deserve friends at all. I'm just a freak, someone who doesn't deserve good friends like Ron and Hermione. Or even Draco. I don't deserve that kiss Draco gave me. It must have been a mistake. I'm a mistake, someone who should have died on the night of my parent's death but instead I had to fucking live this worthless life.

Harry walked up to the Gryffindor tower, said the password, and entered the common room. He glanced around and saw that the room was empty. It was good. It meant nobody will get suspicious of him. He then proceeded to Moaning Myrtles Bathroom.

He went directly to the cupboards above the sinks to grab his tin containing his metal friend. He spelled the lid opened and grabbed his tool, which then he sat down with his back against the cold sinks.

He rolled his sleeves up past his elbows and glanced at his pale, scarred arm. Softly he was pressing the hard edge on his sensitive skin before applying weight to the blade and slitting the flesh between his wrists. Dark red blood rose like crimson raindrops to the cut, running over his hand and onto the floor. The pain was satisfying, and he needed it, as though Ron had experienced the discomfort. For a couple of moments, he was relieved with anything from his pain. And as the blood was drying and the wound began to form Harry had his guilt relieved, he didn't think it would last long but it was something.

Harry got up and started to wash off his arm, enjoying the stinging sensation on his arm as the cold water hit. He grabbed some paper towels from the rack inside a toilet stall and cleaned his arm, putting pressure onto the cuts to try to stop the bleeding a little. He then wiped the floor clean from his blood with the paper towels. Sometimes he just felt like bleeding to unconsciousness, so he could wake up whenever his body would want to and just forget about the entire day or even week. Harry then put his little friend back in the tin, spelled it shut and returned it inside of the cupboard and made his way up to his dorm to just rest his eyes until lunch finished.

Once he entered into the common room, he heard someone say, "What spell did you use for that to keep the tea so warm?" He would have walked away as he felt too numb, but he grew a little curious and decided to see what's going on in the Common Room. Who he spots is that muggle-born kid who performed muggle magic in front of a bunch of people a day ago. Mike. He was drinking from a light blue Thermos Flask.

"Yeah, what spell did you use?" asked Mike's other friend, a dark-haired male named Jensen with a buzz cut. Next to him was Mike's other friend Sam who had short brown hair.

Mark looked a little confused at his friend, Thomas who asked him that question. "What? It's just a Thermos." He shook the Thermos in his hands and heard the swish of his Peppermint Tea slosh against the cylindrical walls.

Harry felt this was getting a little boring, but he watched Mark's friends talk amongst each other and summon three red plastic cups. What exactly were the boys going to do? Or were they just thirsty? He actually doesn't know what he is still doing here and why he isn't up in his dorm where it's warm and he can look out the window while thinking about his depressing life.

"Oh," said Thomas and he looked around the room. He spotted one of the older Quidditch players, Angelina Johnson, come into the common room with two other girls. "Um, excuse me?" He and his friends rushed over to the girls with their cups in their hands. "Hey um..." said Thomas to Angelina. "Can you do that water spell to fill our cups up, please?

"We're a little thirsty," said Sam with an innocent small smile.

Angelina looked down at the young boys and just smiled. She's been asked this question before and she doesn't mind doing these little tasks for the young ones. "Of course," she said and with a flick of her wand and a whisper of "Aguamenti!" the three boy's cups filled up with water.

"Thank you," Thomas said and carefully without tripping went back to Mike with a smile, his friends following from behind. He sat down and placed his cup on the table while his friends just held their own. He stared at it before reaching for his wand in his wand pocket in his robe and pointing it at the cup. What was that word Mike said? Oh yes. "Thermos!"

Nothing happened with the cup and water of course. "Thermos!" said Sam and Jensen, their wands pointed at their cups filled with water. Harry actually smiled at this, thinking it was funny at how this friend of Mike's thinks that 'Thermos' is a spell. Maybe he needs to get a Thermos so he can use it in front of Ron and possibly Draco.

Mike snorted at his friend and started laughing with a hand on his stomach. "Okay then, do that," he said and patted his stomach out of humor. "In fact, keep trying. You'll all get it soon." The three boys sighed and kept trying.

Harry decided to leave them be and go for a walk around the outside of Hogwarts in the cold. He does enjoy walks in the cold as it's refreshing and nothing like being indoors even if it brings warmth and comfort. As he was walking through the grounds, he looked over at the Quidditch pitch and memories from last night started popping into his mind. The round of 'Catch the Snitch' with Draco. Draco furious with Harry for nearly crashing into the Slytherin stands. Flying back to the Willow tree. Draco becoming tired, to Harry's utter amusement, and ends up sleeping with him just because Draco's too lazy to walk back down to the Dungeons. Walking in on Draco half-naked and sodding wolf-whistling at him. And then the kiss which Harry really cannot erase from his mind, not that he wants to.

That kiss was just nothing he's ever experienced, and it was absolutely wonderful. It was nothing like Fred's kiss at all. Draco's kiss was just... heavenly and kind of addicting. And Draco's tongue that entered his mouth after some amounts of kissing was incredible and felt velvety and he remembers just how delicious Draco tasted. He was sugary sweet and tasted like vanilla, but he had a sour taste too and Harry loved it both ways.

Harry looked away from the Quidditch pitch with Draco on is mind and walked his way down to the Black Lake. His thoughts became darker the closer he got to the lake and he began to realize how alone he was. Weren't friends supposed to stick to your sides no matter what? Where were Ron and Hermione now? A sudden memory from the Holidays made him frown. It was in the shopping centre where he was with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. God, he was in a dark place then and unfortunately, he still is now. Dudley's voice rang in his ears. Do you really think you will ever find love? Because a face and body like yours, I believe nobody would love you. Your mother and father even died because of how ugly you are.

Harry tried so hard to ignore Dudley's words, because he knows Draco's friend but something deep inside himself told him that he isn't good enough for someone like Draco. It was a voice. And over time Harry was starting to believe the voice. But the kisses... What were those? And they were so powerful and always lifted Harry's spirit up a lot. The first time Draco kissed his cheek he was just so surprised and shocked. But it couldn't have just been a friendly gesture... The other cheek kisses and forehead kisses. The mouth to mouth kisses this morning. What was all that then? Was it supposed to mean anything because it definitely made Harry feel a little loved? But maybe it was just for practice... Maybe Draco only kissed him as practice for his future lovers. He remembers Draco telling him that he's loved, and that Draco loves him, but does he actually mean it? Did he mean it?

The voice in his head told him it was all a lie, that Draco doesn't like him, that Hermione and Ron aren't his friends, and that he will never find love. Harry, unfortunately, believed the voice and he began to wonder what the point of life was if he had no love. "What's the meaning to life?" he asked the small ripples in the Black Lake, and his frown deepened as he looked at his reflection in the water. "Is there a meaning to life? If I'm unloved, then why am I existing? I'm just a damn waste of space who doesn't deserve any kind of happiness. Why would anyone love me as it's a waste? What's wrong with me? Why am I such a fucking freak with a scar? Nobody sees my pain and what I really feel because nobody cares. Nobody cares about the sick freak I am."

And then he feels his eyes well up with tears. "Why must life be so hard?" he whispers in a quiet voice and began to sob. He brings his legs up to his chest, rests his forehead on his knees and cries onto his knees. At times he just feels like hell is a better suffering than being alive. He just wants to die and leave this ungrateful world.

Harry crawls forward to the Lake and looks back down at his reflection in the water. A few tears drop into the water from his eyes and create ripples. He contemplates drowning himself which he doesn't know how he'll be able to do that. As he thinks about dying, he felt a little scared if he successfully attempted suicide even if he's still very tired of living. Bloody anxiety. He didn't have a problem with it when attempting suicide before. Why is life so difficult?

Harry tries wiping away the tears, but they just keep on falling from his eyes. Its useless. His life is useless. There's nothing to live for when he's lonely and punished by his Uncle and bullied by his cousin. He cupped his hands in the lake and splashed his face with the chilly water, hoping by doing so it would erase any traces that he's been crying. He could still feel the tears running down his face... unless it was the water, but he really didn't care right now.

He began to think of all the ways he can successfully kill himself in Hogwarts without anyone knowing. There's pitching himself off the Astronomy Tower, somehow managing to drown in the lake, getting lost in the Forbidden forest at night and getting killed and eaten by an Acromantula. Merlin, that was actually a scary thought of being eaten. What else was there? Asking Peeves to drop something heavy on him. Eh... He doesn't believe Peeves would do such a thing.

So far, the easiest way would be pitching himself off the Astronomy Tower at night while everyone's asleep and nobody will find him until morning. It sounds wonderful and it's quick and easy. He doesn't have any rope so he can't hang himself and... there are no guns in Hogwarts obviously. In fact, there are no guns in the United Kingdom at all besides the guards of the Royal Palace who have them.

Harry sighs miserably and looks around him for something to do. He sees a rock and decides to try and skip it. It didn't work unfortunately as Harry has never had anyone to teach him how to skip rocks. He was a lonely child when he grew up. No friends, a hated life, punished in the worst way possible. It was all the more reason why he shouldn't be living. The only thing that changed and made his life worth living is finding out he was a wizard when he was eleven and going to Hogwarts. The odd part was realizing he was famous just because he survived the killing curse as a baby. The killing curse that should have killed him, instead it gave him a shitty life. A life in which he doesn't want to live. It's all just one big lie. He lies to everyone, telling them he's fine when he knows he's not.

He starts sobbing again, wishing he could just die on the spot by some stupid way such as birds diving down with razor-sharp beaks to slice into his skin and tear him open from the inside. It's a silly suggestion but it could happen.

*****

Harry slowly walked into the Charms classroom and chose to sit in the back of the classroom away from everyone else. In a few minutes, Ron and Hermione entered the classroom and Harry watched them walk in opposite directions, Hermione going towards Pansy to sit with her and Ron sat with Blaise. They didn't even look up at him. Oh, so they've forgotten all about me," he thought to himself, and he slouched in his chair. How nice. What a way to brighten up my mood. Thanks, Hermione and Ron. Now I feel even more lonely and worthless. He also watched as Draco and his three goons entered the classroom, badges still presented on their robes but the only one without a badge was Draco.

Draco didn't have the badge on his robe since the incident in Potions because he's seen how sad Harry had looked. He hated seeing his crush and best friend sad, especially over something the Slytherins all did. Creating the stupid badges, he tried to get Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore to take the badges off but they didn't listen.

The tiny Professor Flitwick entered his classroom with that usual smile, and he went around to his desk. He walked up the books he's piled up on the floor to get up on top of his desk. "Well, good afternoon everyone."

A murmur of "Good Afternoon, Professor," was heard around the classroom. Harry frowned a little and stared at his desk, not finding any interest in even being in class. He just wanted to fade away into the shadows. Nobody seemed to know he existed today. Maybe he could exit the classroom without anyone knowing and head to Gryffindor to hide away in Myrtle's bathroom.

"Now, can anyone tell me what the charm 'Colloportus' does?" the tiny professor asked in his squeaky voice. He looked around his classroom at the students, and of course, Miss Hermione Granger shot her hand up, probably knowing the answer by heart. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"The charm 'Colloportus' is the locking spell," Hermione told the class, just as proudly as usual. "it locks anything from doors to chests. The only spell that can open a lock that has been locked by 'Colloportus' is the 'Alohomora' charm."

"Very good, very good," Professor Flitwick squeaked. "10 points to Gryffindor!"

Harry sighed deeply and began to doodle on his parchment. He didn't really have a use for it during Charms class. He realized he was drawing quite dark stuff like broken hearts, sad faces, and even blades and knives. It appears he's even written a few things down like "Stupid", "worthless", "Why do I even exist?", and "Ugly". He frowned deeply at the words that printed themselves in his brain and starts to draw again. "I'm always so alone," he writes slowly in his slightly messy handwriting. "Even when surrounded by people that I know."

Seamus smirked at the spell and what it could do. He was intrigued at what else it could do. "So, if I lock the classroom door with the spell, it can only open with Alohomora," he said to the Professor, who nodded at him. "How about if I try locking someone's lips together to shut them up? Can I use Alohomora to open them up again when I feel as if they deserve it?"

Everyone turned to look at Seamus like he'd gone bonkers. Everyone except Harry who was too busy drawing and writing depressing stuff on his blank piece of parchment. Nobody was noticing him anyway. He felt invisible to the world. He silently swore to himself as he felt tears pool up in his eyes, he didn't want anybody to see him this weak and Vulnerable. He was just a weak freak. He began to realize that he was silently sobbing but he was lucky that he was at the back of the classroom in the corner so nobody could look up at him and see him in his vulnerable state.

However, Harry thought wrong because Draco was looking up at him from the other side of the classroom, and he had seen Harry's mental breakdown which concerned him. What's going through that head of Harry's? He knows that Harry probably wasn't thinking about anything good and happy. So, what was up with his friend? He would have to try and find Harry sometimes so he can talk to him about what has happened to make him upset.

The professor sighed at his student and his obvious cheeky remark. "No, it only works on locks, not on somebody's mouth," he told him a little strictly as he could feel his student was up to no good. "Although, if you do want to lock someone's lips together, use the lip lock jinx."

Seamus looked intrigued like he wanted to know more about the spell his professor mentioned. "So, professor," he said and looked to the side of him at dean, winking at him. "Tell me more about this lip lock jinx?"

Dean blushed as he knew Seamus wanted to try something new in bed. So, he crossed his arms over the table, and leaned his head on his arms, wondering why his boyfriend must bring this up now and not speak about it after class when the other students were listening.

"You'll have to do that in your own time, Mr Finnegan," the tiny Professor Flitwick said. "The spell is on page 243 of your Charms books. Read it carefully though."

"Okay, Professor," Seamus said with a mischievous grin and he sure will be reading about it tonight. He couldn't wait for tonight.

"Anyway, get out your wands and practice on these jewellery boxes," the professor said as he levitated everyone a dark blue velvet jewellery box with little diamonds covering the fabric from beside his desk.

As instructed, everyone began to practice locking their jewellery boxes. Only a few students managed to properly lock the boxes before class finished. When Harry finished locking and unlocking the jewellery box he was given, he couldn't think of anything else except the holidays. How much pain he was in, how much he suffered, how he didn't have help. He actually liked the pain, believed he deserved the pain. He was a freak. That's what the Dursley's told him every day and Harry had come to realize that that was true, he was a freak. A freak with a scar, a freak with some silly destiny, a freak who liked pain and a freak who deserved pain.

As the class finished, everyone grabbed their stuff and exited the classroom. Harry couldn't help but watch Draco leave. He watched as his perfect whiteish blonde hair stayed in place as he rushed to his next class, as his Slytherin robes billowed behind him as he walked, how he always kept a smirk on his face even when getting glared at by students in other houses.

Hermione tapped Harry on the shoulder as she saw him stare at Malfoy. "You're staring," she whispered into Harry's ear. She then cleared her throat and noticed Ron come up to them. With a smile, she looked at both of her friends. "That sure was a great lesson."

Harry just nodded sadly and looked away from her, wondering why she just came over to him when she didn't even acknowledge his presence earlier. It was the same with Ron too. He didn't even look around the room when the lesson started to see where Harry was. Hermione and Ron just went and sat with their new friends. It just made Harry feel left out even if he has felt lonely his entire life.

"Yeah, it was fun," said Ron with a shrug, remembering talking to Blaise a lot. The Italian Slytherin, as he found out today where Blaise came from, mostly flexed on about what he likes to do on the weekends such as going shopping or walking the maze out the back of his family's house. It was interesting to listen to, but he mainly watched the Slytherin bite his lip and it was somewhat amusing.

Harry really didn't know what to say to them. He just felt too numb, and he didn't look them in the eye in case they saw that he had been crying. "I wanted to make sure I could cast more than 'Colloportus'," he decided to say. He just wanted the day to be over already. "Like, how about a 'keeping people out of your stuff' charm?" That should lead the conversation on.

"Oh, I know how that feels," said Hermione with a nod. She wished every lesson they learn more than one thing and actually cast the spell. All she does is read about them. "I've been wanting to learn how to cast many other Charm spells for ages, but we've only been taught the basics."

Ron rolled his eyes at his bushy-haired friend and her ranting about wanting to learn more in one lesson. "Oh, brighten up Hermione," he said and gave her shoulder a little pat. "I'm sure we'll be taught many more throughout the year."

"Yeah, I guess," Hermione said and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. She just wants to practice the spells while a teacher is present instead of practising them in the common room. A long moment of silence had engulfed the trio, making the trip to Transfiguration seem even shorter.

-

Draco, who was outside the Charms class waited for two certain people to exit out. "Hey, Finnegan, Thomas," he called out to them. When they turned around to glare at him, which amused him a little, he nodded his head towards him. "I need to have a friendly little chat with you two."

"What do ye want, Malfoy!?" Seamus asked him bitterly with a cold stare. Secretly, he wrapped his arm around Dean's and linked hands with him. Dean was always his happiness in a bad situation, humour when he's sad, and comfort when he's upset.

"I need to ask you guys something," Draco said and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned on the stone wall. Why was it so nerve-wracking talking about Harry? It always gets him. "It's actually about Harry... I-I mean Potter," he quickly corrected.

Dean raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin and asked, "What about Harry?" He found it curious why Malfoy said Harry's first name instead of 'Potter' like he would normally say. And why would he want to ask about Harry?

"What's his pants and shirt size?" Draco asked them. The two Gryffindor's looked confused like they were waiting for some insult about their dorm mate to come out of his mouth. "I um... I have a friend who looks the same size as Harry- Potter." He sighed and shook his head. Why was it hard to say Harry's last name when it shouldn't be? "Anyway, I want to get my friend a suit for... The Yule Ball and it must be a surprise. It's why I need Potter's size in pants and Shirts."

"What makes ye think that we would help ye?" Seamus asked him while Dean looks up and disparagingly shook his head. "And why would ye think that we would care? Ye're a damn Pureblood with loads of galleons. Ye can probably find out yer own way."

Draco actually took a step back at what the Irish Gryffindor said. Sure, he's not scared of the bloke but if he's alone without Crabbe and Goyle beside him he is a little Vulnerable. But he doesn't think Finnegan will ever start a physical fight. He wasn't even insulting anyone. "I just wanted to know... it's a question you Gryffindor's should be able to handle."

Seamus shakes his head at the answer and turns to leave. "Let's go, Dean," he says as he starts walking away. He doesn't want detention from running late. It's probably why the Slytherin asked him some random question. "We can't be late for Transfigurations."

Dean watched Seamus walk away, but then he looked over at Malfoy. What damage could the Slytherin do by knowing Harry's size? "Harry's a size 39 in shirts and 36 in pants," he said, and he bit the inside of his cheek. "You can trust me." And then he turns around after hearing Seamus call his name from down the corridor.

Draco thanks him with a nod, glad there's at least another decent Gryffindor who wouldn't storm off on him and actually give him details. He just hoped Thomas wasn't lying. From there, he headed off to his Divination class fairly quickly as he did stay after class and wait for Finnegan and Thomas. He was just thankful he got what he wanted.

-

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the classroom and chose where to sit. They had Transfigurations with the Ravenclaws. Ron sat next to Harry, which surprised Harry a little. They were next to where Dean and Seamus sat. Hermione of course, decided to sit on her own so she wouldn't be distracted by her friends.

"Good afternoon everyone," said McGonagall and looked up from the essays she was writing for her firth years. "Today, you'll be doing a complex spell that required great focus. Can anyone tell me of the spell 'Porcus'?" And of course, Hermione was the first to raise her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

Hermione smiled and lowered her hand. She crossed her arms over the table and leaned on them a little as she said, "The spell 'Porcus' is a transfiguration spell used to turn large objects into pigs."

"Very good, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall with a proud nod. "20 points to Gryffindor!" The professor picked up a gigantic birdcage and placed it on her desk. She pointed her wand at the cage and said, "Porcus!"

The birdcage suddenly transformed into a squealing pink piglet, who jumped off the desk and ran around the classroom. Most of the girls quickly rushed to stand up on their chairs, afraid of the piglet in case it would eat anything of theirs. Hermione was quite calm, and she even patted the piglet on the head with a smile. All the guys just didn't care about the piglet and what it could get up to.

"Ahhh!" Padma screamed as the piglet nibbled on her shoe. Her twin sister Parvati was already standing on top of the table. She got on top of the table where she was safe from the piglet running amuck around the classroom.

"Calm down, Miss Patil," said Professor McGonagall is a soothing voice and furrowed brows. Sometimes her students worry her at times. "It's just a pig and it won't hurt you."

Ron and Seamus were snickering at the girls, while Neville was leading the piglet over to him by whistling and snorting at it. Neville picked up the piglet when it came over to him and he placed it on his lap. He smiled and petted the pig which squealed with happiness.

The professor looked over at the giggling boys sternly but noticed Harry wasn't paying attention at all. "Mr Potter and Mr Weasley, how about you try the spell on the cages underneath your desks," she suggested they do and pointed her wand at the space below the two boy's desks.

The boys looked under their desks, seeing two large birdcages that weren't there before. Harry reluctantly picked up the birdcage and placed it on the desk, asking himself why he was here when he should have ditched classes earlier.

Ron placed his own birdcage on the desk with ease. "Porcus!" he said. The birdcage sprouted two pig ears, a swirly tail, four legs and a snout. It was wobbling around on the desk because of the cage looking body. It then fell off the desk and landed on its big cage body.

"The poor pig," said Lavender a little loudly than necessary, and she glared over at Ron. "Look what you've done to it!" she pointed at the half-pig half-cage rolling side to side on the floor. "It's suffering all because of you! Change it back!"

Ron raised his hands in surrender at her and moved around the table to stand behind Harry. Girls can be downright scary sometimes and he knows. He's friends with Hermione, and he has a younger sister who scares the hell out of him sometimes.

Professor McGonagall sighed at her student. She pointed her wand at the half pig half cage on the floor and said the reverse spell, turning it back into a cage. "Mr Potter, it's your turn."

Harry cleared his mind but pictured the spell turning the cage into a pig. It was a little hard to do two things at once, but he managed it. He pointed his wand at the cage and said in a clear voice, "Porcus!" The caged sprouted ears, legs, a tail, legs, and a body, turning it into an actual pig. Harry smiled a little at his effort, having transformed something lifeless into something with life.

The professor smiled at her student's success in transfiguring a cage into a real-life piglet. "Very good, Mr Potter," she said with a little clap of her hands. "I'm proud."

"Thanks, Professor," Harry mumbled quietly while patting his piglet over its neck and down the back. The skin was a weird feeling as he has never patted a pig before. He had felt snakeskin in the past, which was a little rough, but pigskin was a little like his own but thicker.

The professor nodded at him and went back to her desk to pile her work up into a stack. "Alright, class," she announced in a lurid voice and made the rest of the cages beside her desk float over to the rest of her students. "Practice the spell."

In a matter of minutes, the whole class had squealing piglets running everywhere. Piglets running for their life, piglets hiding, piglets being cuddled, piglets nibbling on shoes. Piglets were everywhere. As soon as the class was about to end, Professor McGonagall told everyone the reverse spell called 'Novis'.

A series of 'Novis' was said from around the room which piglets were then being transformed back into cages. Except for one, Lavender refused to turn it back into a pig. "But Professor," she said sadly and cuddling the piglet to her chest. "I want to give it a life, it deserves to be loved!"

The professor really didn't know what to do in this situation. Has she ever had a student ask if they could keep something? No. "Miss Brown, it has no life," she said in her stern voice and watched as her young pupil's expression became gloomy. "It's been a cage for centuries now."

"Please, Professor," Lavender said in a pleading voice, and she turned her piglet around so it could stare at the professor with its wide eyes. She hoped the pig would be enough to make her Professor realize how cute it is. "Can I keep it?"

Professor McGonagall eventually nodded at her student. "Very well, Miss Brown," she said solemnly and hoped there was another cage in storage somewhere. "You may keep it, but make sure to take proper care of it."

Lavender nodded excitingly, biting her lip. "EEEEEEK!" she squealed as she couldn't believe that just happened. She could have hugged her professor but didn't want to get into trouble from it. "Thank you, Professor. I will, I will give it the life of royalty."

The professor asked herself why she even let this happen. At least the young girl's happy, and that pig will hopefully be treated right. But knowing Miss Lavender Brown, she's sure that piglet will have a good life. "Please, off to your dormitories now as you have about 35 minutes before dinner," she said to the rest of her class.

"Yes, Professor," Lavender said with a wide excited smile, taking her little piglet in her arms and exited the classroom with a skip. Padma was right behind her and smiling brightly as there's now a pet she can be a godmother to.

Ron and Hermione laughed at their classmate, loving the way she was so kind to the piglet. Harry just stared at the ground blankly, thankful that classes were over. Every student in the classroom started to clear out, leaving Hermione Ron and Harry behind.

"Did you all know that Lavender lives on a farm?" Hermione asked them. She didn't let her friends reply back as she spoke once again. "I've heard her talking about it to Padma in the dorm. It's apparently quite big. And her house, though I haven't been there, is one of those American Quaker barns. It's been in her family for years. Part of her pureblood heritage." She then sighed and gathered her stuff so she's ready to leave the classroom. "Let's go back to the dormitory."

Ron turned back around and looked at his best mate who was quite slow in picking up his items. "Oi, Mate!?" he called into the classroom and when Harry looked up at him, he smiled and thought about helping Harry pack up, but he seemed alright. "Are you coming?"

"No," Harry said with a shake of his head. He had placed his inkpot in his bag but then he sees the parchment he wrote on during Charms earlier. He saw the word "Lonely" and frowned at it. "I'll meet you guys soon."

Hermione noticed the familiar frown and furrowed her eyebrows worriedly at her best friend. Her friend seems down in the dumps a lot, but she's been thinking that it's just his mood swings as he's growing up.

"Alright, if you insist," Ron said a little hesitantly, and he didn't notice the frown. When Hermione eventually went out of the classroom, he followed her up towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry waited a few minutes after they left, then exited the classroom when it felt a little safe and away from other wizards and witches.

Harry had no clue where he was walking to as he was letting his feet decide for him. He walked past some talking portraits saying "Hello" and "Hi" to him as he walked by and Harry just gave them all nods and fake smiles. He heard a loud crash coming from a classroom nearby which he walked over to investigate what that loud crash was. Just as he peeked inside Peeves the Poltergeist came floating out of the room shouting "BOO!" at Harry.

Harry felt like he was back at the Dursleys and was about to get abused. He felt a panic attack start up again. It has been a long time since he has had a panic attack. He dropped to the floor and backed up against a wall, not hearing Peeves laughing at him. He then had a flashback from a long time ago.

_It was a late Saturday afternoon; the sun was about to go down and bats had started to come out of their homes. Harry, a 6-year-old, was just mowing the front lawn as instructed he do by his Uncle so he wouldn't get punished and he was trying not to run over Dudley who was running around the lawn with his aeroplane toy in his hand. Harry was starting to get annoyed at Dudley as he kept disturbing him from doing his job that Uncle Vernon wanted to be done before dinner. He was halfway done mowing when Dudley just started screaming like a maniac. ___

____

_Harry stopped the mower and stared at Dudley like he was some idiot. What the hell did the kid want and why was he screaming? There wasn't any thorns or prickles in the grass the last time he checked. And by checked he meant he had to walk around on the grass barefoot while it's still cold from the morning dew._

____

_Uncle Vernon came rushing out of the house, his face a mixture of anger and curiosity. But when he saw Harry, that's when the anger took over the curiosity. "What is my boy screaming for?!" he yelled, and his forehead had multiple anger lines which made Harry flinch a little._

____

_Dudley started to fake cry just to make matters worse, and Harry rolled his eyes at him. "Daddy!" he sobbed into his father's shirt. "He tried r-running me over with the mower, I t-thought I was going to die!"_

____

_Uncle Vernon looked madly at Harry and pointed a big wobbly finger at him. "You, Boy!" he spat, bits of spit flying out of his mouth which some of it landed on his son's woolly jumper. "Are you trying to get my son killed?!"_

____

_Harry shook his head quickly at the lie Dudley told his Uncle. What's his damn problem? Why must he live this way, in fear and in Dudley's shadow? It's unfair. "N-no, sir!"_

____

_"Right, get inside now!" Uncle Vernon yelled at Harry, and Harry nodded, turned off the mower and went inside with Uncle Vernon. He pushed the brat inside the house through the front door, but the brat managed to not fall down. He was going to teach this kid a lesson._

____

_Harry was stopped in the living room as he felt something hit him hard against the legs. He fell onto his knees, turned over and looked up to see Uncle Vernon whacking him with a cane repeatedly. It hurt like hell and he screamed an apology at his Uncle, hoping that he would stop hitting Harry, but it didn't stop._

____

_Uncle Vernon slapped him hard across the face and it left a mark. "YOU ARE NOTHING TO US, NOTHING AT ALL!" he roared just to make it sink into this pathetic kid's brain. "YOU ARE UNLOVED! WHO WOULD LOVE A FREAK LIKE YOU!"_

____

_And Harry cried. He cried and cried under his Uncle's gaze and was dragged to his cupboard only to be thrown in and locked up in. He banged on the walls of the cupboard door, sobbing loudly to get someone's attention and wanting to get out but he knew there was no way out. ___

______ _ _

Harry regained consciousness and looked around the corridor, seeing nobody in sight. He sighed miserably and thought how Peeves had left him there to suffer in his memories. The poltergeist clearly doesn't like him. Nobody likes me," he thought dispiritingly to himself. "Well, they only like me for being the 'famous Harry Potter'. They don't like me for being who I really am.

______ _ _

Harry got too caught up in his depressing thoughts that he forgot it was probably time for dinner. He really didn't want to go to dinner, but he still had Ivy's blade in his pocket and wanted to give it back to her.

______ _ _

Harry hid behind a statue of a wizard when he got closer to the Grand Hall and put his Invisibility cloak over himself. Then with the invisibility cloak covering him, he walked into the Grand Hall and over to the Slytherin table and slipped the blade into Ivy's book bag which dangled from her shoulder. He couldn't help but listen to the conversation that was going on with Ivy, Draco and Pansy.

______ _ _

"But Dray, you need to keep your promise!" Pansy said in a serious tone while she stabbed a potato with her fork from the little mound of potato salad, she had on her plate next to a couple of sausages. "Since you're not going to the Yule Ball with him, and I told you multiple times to go with him, you should at least ask him out."

______ _ _

"What promise?" Harry thought to himself and moved closer to Ivy who sat next to Pansy so he can get a good view of Draco. But he could see worry etched on the Slytherin's beautiful pale face, and his blonde hair was falling in his eyes a little. Harry wanted to brush it away so badly, and touch Draco's hair and face.

______ _ _

"She's right you know; you have to ask him eventually," Ivy said and dipped her garlic bread in tomato sauce which she smeared on her plate. People think garlic bread and tomato sauce is an odd combination but it's really not. "Even Pansy's going to ask Hermione out soon, which I wonder when that will be."

______ _ _

"It will be soon," Pansy said matter of factly, and smirking at her. Okay, maybe the thought of asking Granger out does seem hard since it's very nerving even being next to the brown-eyed Gryffindor.

______ _ _

Harry had to take a second to regain the information he just heard. Pansy likes Hermione and is going to ask her out? He wants to tell Hermione this but no, he'll wait until Pansy has asked her out. Who is this boy that they're talking about, and what does Draco have to ask him?

______ _ _

Draco sighed and drank the last of his pumpkin juice. It refilled immediately after he placed the goblet down, so he started on his peas and mashed potatoes. "I know, I just don't know when to ask him."

______ _ _

"Whatever, Dray," Pansy said bitterly with a harsh squint his way. She just wants her friend to be happy with the guy he's into. It is all she ever wants for Draco. "Just don't hurt Ivy, or I swear I'll come to find you and kill you."

______ _ _

"Pansy, it's okay," Ivy assured her softly and patted her on the back, trying to calm down the pissed Slytherin. She knows how Pansy is feeling though. She just wants Draco to ask Harry out before Christmas or even better, on Christmas day. She just wants it done before February next year. "It is just a dare."

______ _ _

"Just a dare?!" Pansy had to repeat her as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Just a dare?! Ivy, he's been crushing on Potter for who knows how long, since they met? I'm not sure, but he has to man up and ask him out someday. He's been fawning over him for a long time. He needs to up his game."

______ _ _

Harry gasped at this information and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but it seemed like Draco heard him as the blonde looked up above Ivy and Pansy to where he was. Harry felt lucky he had the cloak over himself. God, what would Draco think or even say to him if he found out he had been hearing their conversation.

______ _ _

"Pansy, keep your voice down," Draco then said, a little uneasily as he looks down from where he stared at and at them. He swore he heard a gasp come from above them. "I don't want people finding out." He then furrowed his eyebrows, knowing Harry has an invisibility cloak. A quick glance over at the Gryffindor table he noticed Harry wasn't there, but Weasley and Granger were. Finnegan and Thomas weren't there though. He just hoped what he thought wasn't true. He leaned a little closer to them from over the table and said, "You know what my father will do if he finds out, don't you?"

______ _ _

"Of course, I know Dray," said Pansy with a sad expression and played with the sausages on her plate. She paused, and Harry took that time to quickly run around the Slytherin table and back over to them but this time he was on Draco's side. "It's just..." she began and watched closely as the space net to Draco, the seat, dipped a little like someone was sitting on it. She blinked and looked back at Draco, thinking she was seeing things. "I want you to be happy, Dray. I see the way you look at him."

______ _ _

Harry knew he was butting into a very private conversation, but he wanted to hear more. He was blushing like mad and smiling dreamily down at Draco, his elbow resting on the table and his head leaning on his hand. Surely Draco and Pansy didn't mean me, right? He asked himself. There's got to be other people with the last name of Potter, right? Wait... does that mean he's going to ask me out? What? How could this be? I mean, yes, I've been crushing on Draco for quite a long time, but it couldn't be a possibility that he would like me back. After all, I'm a freak. Who would like a freak?

______ _ _

He had this odd, exciting sensation within him though he knows that he will soon not believe anything he's heard. No, he's starting to not believe it now. But it's just the way Draco's moving his eggs around his plate is what amused Harry, and he felt himself moving closer to the blonde until he touched his leg. Being here at the Slytherin table felt like he had come into a new world. It's like he fell down the rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland.

______ _ _

Draco froze as he felt something touch his outer left leg, and he looked to the side at the space beside him. He felt like his mind was playing tricks on him because nobody was there but there was a slight dip on the seat beside him and he smelt... pine. Yes, his mind was definitely playing tricks on him and thinking that Harry was beside him. The pine scent though... He couldn't help but close his eyes and take a deep breath in through his nose.

______ _ _

Ivy and Pansy looked at Draco curiously as he was staring at this one spot beside him. They shook their heads a little at each other with smiles and got back to eating their dinner.

______ _ _

Harry knows he had a shitty day today; however, he knows even just one kiss from this blonde Slytherin lifted his spirits up for a while. It was like magic. He absolutely loved watching Draco this close, only half an arms length away from him. He was sitting on his legs which was a little uncomfortable, but it didn't bother him at all. "Draco," he whispered in a quiet voice, almost like he's speaking Parseltongue.

______ _ _

Draco freezes and looks up a little after hearing his name being whispered by a male's voice as he could tell. He swallows a little and that pine scent became stronger than ever. He's just so confused. Could Harry actually be... next to him? Did Harry hear the whole conversation?

______ _ _

Harry scootches just a little closer, his heart quickening its pace as he's only a foot away from Draco now. He makes a split-second decision to grab the longest end of the cloak which was by his hands and pull it over Draco, so they were both under the invisibility cloak. He smiles at the nervous expression clear on Draco's face and before the blonde says anything, he lifts his hand up and places a finger on his lips. "Shh!" he shushes him quietly and leans forward, his hand dropping to the seat.

______ _ _

"Just so you know," Harry starts as he whispers it into Draco's ear, and he bites his lip at the delicious scent of citrus from Draco's hair. He feels his face warm up as he feels Draco's breath near his neck. "I heard everything but let's not talk about that just yet." He leaned back a little and looked into those silver eyes which sparkled beautifully as those orbs looked back into his green eyes.

______ _ _

Harry licks his lips and leans forward, head tilting to the side and his heart starts beating like a mini drum the closer his face got to Draco's. His hand comes up and he places it on Draco's neck, his eyes flutter closed as he presses his lips to Draco's soft, warm, and irresistible ones and he ran his free hand over Draco's soft blonde hair. The irresistible lips he's been missing the touch of ever since they had their first kiss. Draco kissed him back and sent his mind through a whirlwind of emotions that cleared out of his head and made him feel valued and loved though he didn't admit it as his lips were quite occupied in the most beautiful way. He deepens the kiss for just a second until he leans away, their lips glistened with saliva and eyes glazed over.

______ _ _

Harry smiles at this incredible feeling of being a little happy and presses his lips together, his cheeks pink with a blush. He admired how pink Draco's cheeks were. Or were they red? He couldn't tell because of the cloak and the little darkness they were in. He then winks at him and pulls the cloak off Draco, giving the Slytherin back to the outside world while he's still under the invisibility cloak. Deciding it is time that he departed and head to his own table, he got up from the table and walked away from the Slytherin table with a smile on his face.

______ _ _

Draco just stared at the place Harry was, his heart hammering loudly in his chest with an intense fluttery feeling within him and re-watched everything that happened just then is his mind. He then smiled and looked back down at his plate of food which was half-eaten. Harry had kissed him, and unfortunately heard the conversation he had with Ivy and Pansy. But that was actually very good. It got the message to Harry that he liked him and would hopefully make the asking-out simpler. This just excited him because this could mean that Harry likes him back. He stares dreamily at his plate with shepherd pie and chuckles silently.

______ _ _

He then looks up and notices Pansy, and Ivy are staring at him with their jaws dropped a little. "What?" he asks them with his smile. He could still feel Harry on his lips and taste him slightly. It was captivating.

______ _ _

"Draco," Ivy says like she has regained her ability to speak after the shocking... she didn't know what she saw or if her brain or eyes was playing tricks on her. "Y-You were gone. But then you came back... What the bloody hell happened to you? One minute you were here, then you disappeared and now you're back."

______ _ _

Draco sighs happily and pushes a cauliflower around his plate. He just realized how lovestruck he must appear but really, he did not care. Harry just... made him this way. "Would you believe me when I say I've been kissed by a literal angel?"

______ _ _

Ivy raised an eyebrow and looked down at Pansy who shrugged and started cutting thin slices of her sausages. "Um... okay?" she says and starts finishing off her garlic bread and pumpkin soup. She really has no idea what happened or why Draco's acting like this. But she knows one thing. If Draco's acting like this it always has something to do with Harry Potter.

______ _ _

Harry took off his invisibility cloak from behind the statue of the knight, put it in his pocket and walked back into the Grand Hall just like nothing happened. To distract himself from further staring at Draco since he kissed the damn blonde, and trying not to blush anymore, Harry looked over the Gryffindor table at the giant feast that lay on the table. There was Roast Chicken, Roast Turkey, Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, Mashed Potatoes, Potato Salad, Curry, Nasi Goreng, Mi Goreng, and other foods which Harry had never seen in his life.

______ _ _

He remembered that there weren't only Hogwarts students in the castle, there had been Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students around Hogwarts. Harry just pushed the thought of having not one, but two other schools in Hogwarts because he had intense social anxiety. He hated his anxiety because it kind of stopped him from doing a lot of things. A lot of very harmful things might he add.

______ _ _

When he first came to Hogwarts in his first year, it was so hard, but Harry had managed to get through his social anxiety slowly. There were just so many students in Hogwarts but in primary school, there weren't a thousand kids attending. Only a hundred. It got hard still because of Dudley.

______ _ _

Harry placed a chicken wing, a square of lasagna and some curried eggs on his plate. If Draco never gave Harry the eating disorder thing potion, he'd be feeling super sick by looking at these foods. He wolfed down only half of what was on his plate as he felt a bit full after eating as much as he could. He then exited the Grand Hall to get the egg, Marauders Map, a towel, and his Pajamas just to see if Cedric was right about the egg.

______ _ _

Harry exited the Gryffindor common room with his invisibility cloak hiding him from others, and the Marauders Map showing if there are any teachers coming his way, he could easily get to the Prefects Bathroom. As he did so, he quickly said the password "Pine Fresh" and ducked behind the statue of Boris the Bewildered into the bathroom.

______ _ _

Once he got inside, he saw many taps and decided to try out all of them and see what happens. Surprisingly, the taps all gave off different effects in the water, as well as different smells and colours. He randomly chose one of the taps and hopped into the bath with a 'splash!' Harry felt his cuts burn under the water and hissed in pain but tried to ignore it as he liked the pain.

______ _ _

Harry then went over what Cedric told him, 'Take a bath with the egg'. He grabbed the egg from his towel and opened the egg up when it was underwater. He didn't hear anything, so he ducked under the water to see if had a different effect. Surprisingly, it did.

______ _ _

_Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground. And while you're searching ponder this; we've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour-long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took. But past an hour, the prospect's black, too late, it's gone, it won't come back. ___

__

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry launched himself out of the water, so he could take a nice long breath of fresh air. It felt good to be able to breathe again. He felt tired enough as he did an hour ago, so he hopped out of the bath with the egg, dried himself off and put his Pajamas on. He grabbed his invisibility cloak, put it on over himself, grabbed everything else and rushed out of the bathroom to get back to the Gryffindor dormitory. Luckily, nobody was out and about the corridors throughout Hogwarts so he could get back peacefully to the dorms.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Harry got himself into bed a few ten minutes later and placed the golden egg and his round glasses on his bedside table. He then closed the curtains of his 4-poster bed, and just laid there silently listening to Ron, Seamus and Dean snore peacefully. Strangely, he didn't hear Neville snore at all, Neville was usually the first one to fall asleep out of his other three dormmates.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Neville?" Harry whispered quietly, low enough so he wouldn't wake up Ron, Seamus, or Dean. Why wasn't Neville sleeping though? He's the first one to wake and sleep out of everyone else. "Are you alright? Why aren't you sleeping?"

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, um..." said Neville and he sounded like he was uncertain about what to say. But then he finally spoke. "Yes, I'm fine thanks...." A long moment of silence came upon both boys before Neville had the courage to speak up. "Do you know the clue to the egg yet?"

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Uh, no," said Harry and as he sat up and moved the drapes aside so he could look outside at the window near Neville's bed, and as he did so he thought of Draco because of the bright stars shining in the night sky. He didn't exactly get an answer from Neville about why he's still up. "Not really."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Harry thought of the task and all the stress he's under because of it. Why must his life, when blessed with little happiness, transform his life into a living nightmare? Then he itched at his cuts from under his Pajama sleeve, feeling a little less anxious. "I mean, I know of the clue, but I haven't figured it out yet."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Ok, maybe I can help," said Neville though he doubted whether or not he'll actually be able to help Harry. He's not too good with a lot of things. Potions for example. He sat up and pushed the drapes on the left side of him open so he could see Harry. "What did the egg say when you opened it, however you opened it, without it screaming?"

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"When I opened it underwater, I couldn't hear it, so I thought I'd duck underwater with the egg to see if there was any difference," Harry explain it to him simply. "That actually helped and instead of that ear deafening scream, it sang beautifully." He played the song in his head before he could speak it out Neville without leaving anything important out of the song.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground, And while you're searching ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss, An hour-long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took. But past an hour, the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Both the boys just sat there in silence, thinking about what the clue said, trying to figure out what the next task for harry was. Neville broke the silence by saying, "Well... when they say underground, they must mean underwater because nothing can sing underground. Nothing that I know of. Plus, it sang when you were underwater with it, so the task must have something to do with the lake." He sounded surprised as usually, he wasn't very good at figuring out riddles.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Yeah, that must be it," said Harry, and he nodded at that realization. "But it must take something that I will surely miss so... what would I miss?" He sat there, thinking about what he would miss. What would he miss if it is an object or a person? God, it would be humiliating if they put one of his blades down there. Well, that's if someone can find them but good luck with that.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Yeah," Neville said and sat there in silence, thinking about the next lyric to the golden egg's clue. "Oh my." He sounded a little worried now as he realized something h=which he hopes isn't true. "The hour-long thing, you must have to search for the thing you miss, and you'll only have an hour to do so."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"The next lyric says if I don't find the thing I miss, then I'll lose it forever," Harry says just to get onto the topic of the next lyric. He sighed and wondered what the thing would be that he would miss. "Do you know anything that can help me breathe underwater for an hour?" He was forgetting there are three other people sleeping in the room.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Actually, there is," Neville said and he sat up and crawled to the other side of his bed where his trunk was. "Professor Moody gave me a book about 'Magical Mediterranean water plants and their properties'. I read through it and found a section on Gillyweed and the best part about it is that it helps you breathe underwater. However, these ingredients are kind of rare, but I am sure Snape has them in his potions cupboard in the classroom."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"That's great!" said Harry warmly and his mouth slacked a little. Gilly weed is done, so that's one thing. Net is actually making the Gillyweed, but he doesn't want Neville to do it by himself. "Do you think you'll be able to make it in time for when the tournament happens next Friday?"

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Yes, I will," said Neville with a little nod and he starts counting the chipped bits in his bed's roof. "I've always wanted to make Gillyweed and it should be ready in three days. Thirteen more nights and you have the tournament."

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Thanks, Neville," said Harry gratefully with a small smile and it lit up his face. If Draco were here, it would have made him melt on the inside. "You're the best." There was yet again, another long moment of silence.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Neville suddenly sighed, he seemed upset about something and Harry wondered if he was doing okay. "Are you alright, Neville?" Harry asked and wondered what's wrong with Neville's life besides stuffing up potions. It's a trait a lot of people share such as Seamus, Ron, himself, and a few others.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, nothing," Neville said in a flat voice and he let out a deep sigh from within. "It's nothing at all, Harry. Please, let's just go to sleep. We will need it." Harry saw Neville roll onto his side and the drapes of his bed fell shut.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Alright then, goodnight Neville," whispered Harry and lay back down in bed, looking out the window once again. There was another long moment of silence, so Harry just laid down and up at the ceiling of his 4-poster bed. He then suddenly fell into a deep sleep, remembering the second task he had to do in a couple months' times.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

*****

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_Harry was soaring through the sky on the back of an owl, feeling the wind in his hair, the cold breeze on his face, it was like flying on a broom, but bumpier. The owl was zooming him straight to what looked like a house, next to a spooky-looking graveyard that looks like it's been thousands of years old. ___

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Harry feels like he's been there before, very odd indeed, he saw the same grave with an angel statue, that spiky black fence. As the owl dived down, it flew through a broken window. Harry got off the owl, he was on the shoulder of an older man, looked like he was in his late 70s. ___

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Harry noticed that there was a gigantic snake, a weird warty looking man, with overgrown fingernails, and the older man who Harry was situated on, he appears to be a muggle. There also was a middle-aged man crouching beside a chair with what looked like a baby covered in black drapes. The baby looked absolutely horrible; it was the ugliest thing he'd ever laid eyes on. It had slits for its nose, much like a snake, and had these cold dark eyes. Harry then realized the baby thing could talk. ___

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry couldn't quite hear what the baby thing was saying, but the next thing he saw was a flash of green light and Harry had woken up, sweat covered his body and soaked the sheets of his bed. He sat up, eyes open to their fullest, panicking, looking around, trying to figure out where he was. He was finding it hard to breathe, he felt like he was going to lose oxygen and die, every breathe he tried to take was instead a wheeze.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry tried his hardest to calm down his anxiety attack, breathing in for four seconds, hold for seven seconds and breathe out for eight seconds. This slowly calmed him down, he was starting to breathe much more slowly, he then laid back down on his bed, sheets still soaked with his sweat. He felt disgusting.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry remembered the blade he left in Moaning Myrtles Bathroom in the can of empty mints in a cupboard. Maybe cutting has an effect on his anxiety, as well. He never actually wanted Hermione and Ron to worry at all about him though. But still, even when telling Ron that the Dursleys kept him in a cupboard for the first 11 years of his life, he still had not tried to rescue Harry through any of the summer breaks.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry had only been allowed at the Weasleys during the last few weeks of the holidays which sucked. He would rather spend the entire two months at the Burrow, but then he knew he would soon enough miss the punishments like the freak he was. He slightly opened the side curtains to his four-poster bed, looked around and he slightly heard the snores of Neville.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Good, he is asleep. It gave Harry time to do his thing. He slowly and quietly, turned to his left side of his bed and dangled his feet over the edge of the bed. He got off of his bed and tried not to make a sound and moved towards his bedside table. His glasses were the first thing he got and he put them on, and quickly walked to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom while trying not to wake anybody else up.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Outside of Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, he peeked inside to see if Ivy was there and luckily, she wasn't. He didn't actually want to see her, or at least anybody. He wanted some alone time to himself.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

While walking into the bathroom, he decided to head straight to the sinks. Harry opened the cupboard, grabbed the tin, removed the ward that was spelling the tin shut and grabbed out his blade. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and thought to himself why bad stuff always happens when even the littlest amount of happiness lightens him up.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He sighed and looked down to his left arm which he pulled his Pajama sleeve up to his elbow to reveal a pale-ish arm with familiar-looking scars from months, weeks, and days ago. He takes out his wand, does a quick "Tempus" to reveal it was 11:49, nearly midnight. It doesn't really matter though.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry looked towards the sink and ran his index finger along the sharp edges of his blade, whilst accidentally pushing his finger a bit too hard on the end and made it bleed. "Ouch!" he hissed softly, although it didn't really hurt much. It was just like a small pinch.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry blankly sat down on the cool tiles of Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom with his sleeves still rolled up, blade in his hand and he began to contemplate deeply about his life. He remembered the day when he first discovered he could speak Parseltongue, and when everyone stared at him like he was some evil thing. God, he hated that.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry let those thoughts fly off to the back of his mind. He began to zone out, just staring at a small chip on a tile a few feet away, all those negative thoughts he felt earlier that day, had come back to his mind.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He wondered if wizards and witches do support homosexuality in the wizarding world as he knows that muggles are okay with it. Some are, except some of those Christians. Would people call him a freak if they ever find out though? Would people start disliking him if they found out he was into males? He remembered how much he had resisted believing he was a freak at first when he was younger, but as time went on, Harry began to lose the fight. He began to believe the words that he, Harry, was a freak.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What would Ron think of me if I come out to him? Harry was thinking as he looked over at the sinks which were the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Will he still want to be my best mate? Besides, love is love, right? What I heard earlier couldn't be true... right? Someone so handsome and perfect like Draco can't like someone like me. Nobody should like me because I'm a freak. Nobody likes freaks. Freaks deserve nothing.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He'd look towards his left arm, blade in his right hand and he'd move the blade towards his arm. He smiled weakly. Harry slid the cold blade across his warm skin, letting out a hiss of pain as he felt his anxiety drain away from him that has been scratching at him for his whole life.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry liked this numb, empty feeling he felt. It seems that cutting can take away other feelings for a while. Harry watched the cut he just made, it took a few seconds for the blood to appear, but that was okay. He liked seeing his blood, crimson thickness from inside. It was like his own artwork.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry placed the tip of the blade between two red marks on his arm, before applying pressure and cutting his arm in three more places. The blood rose to his skin and trickled down his wrist, and the anxiety was pouring out of him onto the white floor. He kept staring at his arm, admiring the blood oozing out from the cuts he made. He then cast another quick "Tempus" charm, seeing that it was now 1:40 in the morning.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry watched the blood dry and harden until he cleaned it up with toilet paper from a toilet stall and cleaned up the blood pool from the floor. As he turned the tap on, he felt disappointed that he had to wipe his arm clean. Couldn't he just stay here forever? He then washed off his arm with a damp toilet paper square, it stung his arm as he cleaned off the dried blood.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Harry?" said a familiar voice.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry spun around, blade still in his hands, sleeve still rolled up past his elbow and staring at where the voice came from. This is bad, someone's found out about how he deals with his life. Oh, it's Ivy Black. Just act calm; you can do this. No, you need to escape! Maybe she didn't see the cuts?

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, Hello Ivy," Harry said with an emotionless voice and was trying to sound happy, but the cuts just numbed him of his emotions. He needed to get away and he easily could if he made a run for it and back up into the common room. One thing for sure that he wants to know is how she got here in the first place.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy stood at the entrance to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, dressed in green and black muggle pyjamas and was looking down at Harry's left arm, seeing freshly knew cuts done by a broken muggle razor in his hands. She felt Deja-Vu all of a sudden, but Harry and herself had swapped places.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She snapped out of her thoughts clogging in her brain to why Harry Potter, 'The Golden Boy', 'The-boy-who-lived', would cut his own wrist, what made him so unsure of his own life to make him do such a thing? "Hello, Harry Potter," she said while still looking at his arm with fresh cuts upon them. She walked further into the bathroom and furrowed her eyebrows worriedly at him. "Are you okay, Harry?" she asked him softly. "I am here to talk to if you want."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry frowned at her, knowing she has seen his cuts. It just made things worse for him. "Yes, I'm feeling alright," he said and looked down to avoid eye contact. He didn't care anymore that he lied to her. Or anyone else for that matter. All he wants to do is get away and try to sleep again so he can wake up and pretend this is all a nightmare.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Harry, your clearly not okay," Ivy said in a gentle and worried voice. "Please, let's talk about that!" She walked up to him, grabbing his left bloodstained arm carefully so he wouldn't flinch. She looked directly into Harry's eyes and wondered how she can make him feel better. Then a thought came to her mind: Draco. "I can tell why Draco likes you so much."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"What?" Harry said and wondered again if he heard wrong. Surely, she didn't mean... No. Well, he did hear them talk about Draco's apparent crush on him. If that was true or not. He half believed it and half didn't as that voice had come back to sink him back down into the nothingness in his mind. "How come I've never seen you around much at Hogwarts?" He trailed off the subject so he can learn a bit more about Ivy.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, I mostly spend my time in the Slytherin common room," Ivy said, and she sighs at the blade in Harry's hand. What she needs to give Harry is an anti-depressant potion or even the muggle pills. Probably the potion so he doesn't try anything with the pills. Overdosing is sadly quite common. "If not there, then I'd be in the library in my secret spot, or I come here."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh," said Harry and he reaches his hands down to find pockets but realized he had none. It's become a habit now, putting his hands in his pockets. "Wait, you have a secret spot? Is it that secret that you wouldn't tell me?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy just smiled and shook her head at the last thing Harry said. Pansy and Draco know where her spot is so why not tell Harry? "It's actually up on the clock Tower since nobody really goes up there much," she told him and gave him a little serious look to tell him not to tell anyone. "It's a great place to... let out my emotions and vent to the bird's that fly up there."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Mhm," Harry mumbles and thinks about that spot Ivy's talking about. It's just the clock Tower though but he understands why she likes the place. You can see a lot from just that spot, even if the Astronomy Tower's a better place to go to. "So how have you been doing?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I'm doing quite well, thank you," Ivy told him with a truthful smile. "Draco's the one who always helps me, and Pansy of course. Draco's the one who manages to drag me down to the Great Hall to eat, and Pansy's there to always ask me about fashion and make-up tips just so I don't get bored and start thinking...err...deeply. Honestly, they're both like siblings to me, I don't know what I would do without them."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Yeah," Harry had to agree with her there. He didn't know Pansy that well, but Draco really is an incredible guy when you get to know him. "Draco's a really nice guy. I lov-," he hesitated and pressed his lips together to shut himself up.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy noticed the stutter and grinned. Oh, did she not hear wrong? Is it true that Harry likes her cousin back? "I'm sorry, did you mean to say you love him?" She asked with a wink.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"No-, I-... Pfft, I-" Harry stuttered and knows his cheeks would be pink by now as Ivy spoke the truth. He really hates himself as he keeps stuttering. Curse you, bloody stuttering git! What he wants is for stutters to become extinct, so he doesn't have to deal with them.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy giggled and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She just enjoys teasing people about their crushes. "It's okay, Harry," she says and pats him on the shoulder just to assure him. "I'll keep it a secret. Besides, I've seen the way Draco looks at you."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Wait..." Harry said and hesitates for a minute. He blinks repeatedly at her and asked himself if she was speaking with honesty. But it just couldn't be true. "Do you mean...?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy nodded; glad she was getting somewhere with this conversation. "Yes, he returns the same feelings for you, Harry," She tells him and hesitated, pressing her lips together as she knows how mad Draco will be if he finds out about this conversation. "Just... don't tell him I said that."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry did not know what to say. He would have blushed at hearing this but felt too numb to. Did she really mean it? Or is it just some Slytherin trick? Never mind that. It probably was a joke. "So, Draco's birthday is June 5th, right?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I don't know how you found that out, Harry," Ivy said with confusion and did not know how someone could know about her cousin's birthday. Unless of course Harry's been observing her cousin for however many years. "That's very confidential."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry hadn't thought birthdays were confidential. They're always something everyone should know so they can celebrate when the time comes. "I um... notice things," he said and brings his hand up to rub at the side of his neck. He felt entirely awkward in this conversation. "Can I ask about your parents?" He decided to ask as he knows Sirius is somehow involved. Or that is what he thought.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy nodded and directed harry to the floor, signalling he should sit down. As soon as they both sat down on the chilly tiles with Ivy facing Harry, she began. "Well, I'm sure you know who Bellatrix LeStrange is," she said, and she didn't need him to answer her, so she continued. "I was actually told this from my Aunt Narcissa who is Draco's mother. Sirius and Willow apparently met at Bellatrix and Rodolphus's wedding. Knowing Sirius, he was always the one to get drunk first. All the known pure-blooded families were invited and Willow, Rodolphus's younger sister obviously got drunk as well. She began talking to Sirius and apparently, she decided to do 'the devil's tango' up in Narcissa's room with him by force. I don't know if that actually happened... but if it didn't then how could I be here? They were all pretty much in their teen years, around 16, or higher. They were that drunk as heck that they didn't even remember the wedding."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry could have laughed at the wording Ivy used instead of 'shagging' or 'sex'. It was pretty funny actually seeming as it has 'The devil' in it as well as 'Tango' which is a type of odd muggle dance.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"After about 5 months, mum discovered she was pregnant with me," Ivy said, and she didn't even seem happy about it. "She never really wanted to have kids, but she had to take care of me since there was no spell or potion invented back them to take out a 4-month-old baby in the womb. So, then, she decided to have me, raise me, take care of me."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry noticed that Ivy used the bunny ears thing when she said 'raise' and 'take care'. He understood what she was gesturing. Ivy's mother wasn't taking care of her in a good way. It was like him and the Dursleys.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Anyway, as I got older, she began acting more..." Ivy had to stop there and blink back tears that were welling up in her eyes. "She was more aggressive toward me. She began to hit me, didn't feed me enough, lock me in small spaces for days without food or water, locked me out of the house sometimes. It all just got worse the older I got but I've been in the muggle world a lot, so I know my way round to hotels and restaurants if I need it."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry looked at her sympathetically and could see tears starting to fill in her eyes. The poor thing, having to go back to that awful monstrosity of a mother. Her life is pretty much like his own except she doesn't have 'The Savior' or 'Golden Boy' as a title.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Want to know a secret?" Ivy asked and gave a choked sob. She doesn't think he knows about her sexuality yet unless Draco's told him. The thought of Draco and Harry deep in conversation about their sexuality intrigued her and she wanted to know what they've been talking about.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Um, sure?" Harry said a little curiously, and he stared down at his feet which were covered with his holey socks. He wished he had other socks, but he hasn't gotten any muggle money for shopping in the muggle world. He knows he can just shop in the wizarding world, but he hasn't had any time at all.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I'm a lesbian," she said and gave his arm a little nudge with her elbow. Harry just nods at her as he knows this already because Draco has told him in the past.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry decided to make the girl laugh, she deserved it after all. "Uh, if I may ask, what's a lesbian?" Of course he knows what a lesbian was but from what he has seen Ivy doing in this very room a few weeks ago, he knows she deserves to have a laugh.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"You know what gay is, but don't know what lesbian is?" Ivy asked him in disbelief and cracked up at him for not knowing what the term is. He should know though. It's the first letter on the LGBTQ + group.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Uh, no?" Harry said and tried his best to sound confused. Oh, this was getting rather hilarious. Well, he only wanted to make Ivy laugh, he was too numb to make himself laugh. But if he could make Ivy laugh, it would make him feel a little better with himself.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"A lesbian is a girl that doesn't want to date guys, she only dates girls," Ivy said and started picturing a Gryffindor with brown eyes and curly dirty blonde hair bouncing up and down as she skips along the corridors. "It's like the definition of gay but you swap the gender around."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, so that's what it means?" Harry said and forcefully raises his brows. At least she laughed. "I honestly thought it had something to do with actual beans, like baked beans." Ivy laughed at what the definition of 'Lesbian' was to Harry. Harry was glad he could make Ivy laugh again and cast a quick "Tempus" charm, telling him that it was 4:30 am. "Now for my secret... I've never told anybody this, not even my best friends know but when I was sorted in the first year of Hogwarts, the hat actually wanted me in Slytherin."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh, yeah," said Ivy with a nod and she fiddles with her black fishtail braid. "Same goes with me. It was going to put me in Gryffindor, but I told the hat not to. I like Slytherin, I don't like the people though as they can be very rude. I chose Slytherin only because I like the colour green, as well as the gothic architecture and furniture throughout the dungeons. I know, I'm weird."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I didn't want to go into Slytherin because..." Harry didn't want to tell her because it involved Draco and how Ron told him that all Slytherins were evil. "Um... Let's just say when I was introduced to the houses someone told me that Slytherin is the house of evil."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy nodded with comprehension She knew what harry meant. "Anyway, it's your time to tell me... what made you do that-..." She looked down at Harry's left arm, seeing it has been rolled down passed his wrist. "What made you cut yourself, Harry."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry frowned at the floor are really considered this for a moment. She told him about her life so it's only fair if he tells her about what he goes through. But the thing is he doesn't want to tell her. He doesn't want to tell anybody about this. It's his own problem and nobody else's. "All I'll say is that thanks to Voldemort and killing my parents my life is a complete piece of shit and sorry for my language," he mumbled, and Ivy nodded. He knows that when he's mumbling he sounds like he's speaking nonsense. "Someone, and I mean Dumbledore, thought it was wise to send me to my Aunt so she can look after me with her husband and child. Big mistake."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"My Aunt and Uncle hate magic and because of it they hated me," he continued on mumbling. "They just made me do chores that tired and weakened me and if I didn't do something right or if I get told off..." He didn't go on. "They locked me away in the place I slept for the first 11 years of my life which was a cupboard under the stairs. I'm sorry but that's all I'll say. Anything else and I would..." He already felt his eyes well up with tears, but he blinked them away.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy frowned at him and nodded. That's all she wanted to hear pretty much. Anything else would be too triggering for her. "Does anybody else know of this, Harry?" she asked him solemnly. "Do you talk to anybody about this?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"No, only you," Harry said, and he hugged his legs to his chest to keep himself warm. The bathroom was quite cold. "I just didn't want my f-friends worrying about me. They all have their own p-problems to deal with." He was thinking about if Ron will accept him as being gay. "I was thinking of telling Draco since we have become good friends, but I just don't know when to. I love him and don't want him to worry about me." Good friends with benefits he should say as he remembers the kiss earlier today.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Harry, he'll always worry for you because loves you," Ivy told him in an earnest expression, and a smile at the thought of Harry and her cousin together. "By the way, when will I get to see you two snogging? You spend a lot of time with Draco, more than your actual friends. I'm always wondering if you're off somewhere snogging in the corridors or in a broom cupboard."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry was at a loss of words. Hearing this from someone close to Draco was shocking but also quite incredible. From what she has told him today Harry doesn't think she's lying. So, could it be true that Draco actually likes him the same way? There have been signs which he has seen such as catching the blonde staring at him, Draco blushing when he winks at him or catches him staring, that heart with his name on it on Draco's work, that damn cheek kiss after the first task, the actual mouth to mouth kiss, today during dinner at the conversation he heard and now.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Ivy... I've seen you wearing short sleeves a lot lately and I know you use the same technique to deal with this depression and I can't help but ask how you do it," Harry said a little shyly. He hoped the question wasn't uncomfortable. "Even from across the hall I don't see a cut in sight, and I know cuts take a few weeks to fade away. So how do you do it?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I don't know, Harry," Ivy told him with a little uncertainty. If she tells him this could be both good and bad, but she's worried for the bad part. Good, so he can hide his cuts from the world and wear short sleeves when it's a little warmer during the day. Or bad where he could just reuse the... She sighs eventually and begins with what she uses. "It's actually a glamour spell I use. I learnt it when I was twelve and began self-harming. Basically, it erases all your cuts from sight, but the scars stay. It's good for wounds, bruises, tattoo's, and injuries. The charm might not cover the wounds or tattoo's if they are significant or you would need very strong magic to do so. The charm will wear the more you use it though and you might need to step up in the complexity of the spell if used for an extensive-time period."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry nods, a little intrigued with this spell now. It means that nobody could find out about what he does to himself if his sleeves somehow manage to push up. "Does the spell have a timer? Like would I have to recast the spell after a few hours?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy nods. Even though it's a good spell sometimes she gets fed up with it and gives up in having to recast the spell. "Yeah, every two days it must be recast," she said, and was still a little uncertain about telling him the charm. She decided to tell him anyway so if Harry and her cousin do manage to make out, Harry would have clean arms. "The wounds will fall if you're in extreme panic, danger, or are emotionally unstable. Draco knows of the spell, by the way. But he wouldn't know if you've used it or not." She then rolled up her black pyjama sleeve past her elbow, showing him her cuts. She was a little wary of showing him what she does to herself, but the cuts will fade as soon as she does the spell.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy then reaches inside her front elongated pocket and takes her wand out. Pointing the tip of her wand at her cuts, she said in a clear voice, "Vulnus Expleret." Her cuts from a day ago began to fade, leaving only scars in their path. Harry watches with a dazed look as Ivy's cuts just disappear, leaving only scars that look a lot like cat scratches.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Anyway, and If I don't see you again have a Merry Christmas!" Ivy said and rolled her sleeves down after showing him how the spell works. She then crossed her arms over her chest from the cold. She gave him a quick hand wave and started walking backwards towards where she came from and how she entered.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Yeah," said Harry, still wondering how she got in. He's too tired to figure that out. Perhaps some other day, then he will ask her how she got inside. He would also have to write the spell down somewhere so he can remember it. "Have a Merry Christmas!" He watched as Ivy left the bathroom to go back to the Slytherin common room, well, that's what Harry thought she did.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Harry got up off the floor and walked towards the bathroom mirrors. He rolled up his sleeve with a hiss of pain to reveal the set of cuts which lay on his arms, dried blood staining his Pajamas. With that in mind, he didn't feel as he needed to clean his arm. Besides, he was going to wear his long-sleeved jumper and his robe anyway, so no one else could find out about his little... Problem. Unless he uses the spell.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He got himself up off the floor, grabbed the blade and walked slowly back over to the sinks. He dropped the blade in the empty tin with a small 'thud' and spelled it shut. From there, he walked back to the boy's dormitory to try to get some sleep but first he searched his trunk quietly for something to write the spell down in. Then he sees it. A leather journal with a dark blue gem in the centre.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Around the gem was a circle of leather stitches, and around the outside of the journal was beautiful little flower designs. But whose was it? The journal actually gave him 'Tom Riddle diary' vibes, if that were a thing. He opened the journal up by the antique little opening it has on it and saw that it hasn't been written in. it definitely gave him Second Year vibes though. It made him shudder.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Whose was it? Was it put there on purpose? Was Tom Riddle planning his revenge on him? Not likely. But then he remembers Hermione telling him about a diary she had and that she would give it to him so he and Draco can write to each other using it. If it wasn't put in the room by himself, then it must have been Ron.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He looked over at Ron's bed which had its curtains all shut. "Thanks, Ron," he whispered and then looks back down at the journal. Why not give it a try? He searched his bookbag which is in his trunk for his quill and ink and finds it easily. From there he starts writing on the first blank page in the diary. "Dear Diary." It's all he writes because he's waiting for the words to disappear so if they do, he can throw the diary out the window or into the fireplace. To his relief, the words stayed on the page and the ink dried up, so the words won't smudge. He then quickly writes the spell Ivy told him down in the diary, waits till the ink dries, and closes the journal. He then headed to bed to try and sleep after locking up the journal and putting it back in his trunk which he locked also.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

*****

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy returned back to the Slytherin common room after that long chat with Harry and there he saw Draco in his green silk pyjamas half asleep on the black leather couch by the fireplace. What is he still doing up past one in the morning? "Um... Draco?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Draco's eyes widened just to focus his vision and saw his cousin. Finally, she came back from wherever she went. He had a feeling she went over to some girl's dorm to... have a good time. "So now you're back? After about five hours of having to stay up this late- oh and Pansy went back to bed because she kept falling to sleep every couple of seconds. What do you have to say for yourself, miss Black?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy looked to the floor and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Yes, I'm back and I have just been with Harry," she told him while walking over and joining him but on the other couch that faced him.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Draco couldn't believe this. He shook his head in disbelief and wondered what Harry and Ivy had been talking about for the past five hours and trying not to get a little jealous of her. "Why's Harry up this late anyway and what were you guys talking about?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"We talked about a lot of things, Draco," Ivy said flatly and was uncertain if she should tell Draco what she's learnt or not. It was Harry's life she knew a little about and she knew what it was like to have people know about her life untold. "Oh, and I believe we're becoming great friends, Harry and I."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Draco adopted a sullen look on his face and shoved his hair out of his eyes from the urge of jealousy he was feeling from Ivy. He wished he were with Harry, talking, and learning more about the Gryffindor with gorgeous green eyes. It was his favourite thing to do. "Like I said before what were you guys talking about."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy sighs and pushes a strand of her hair out of her eyes and behind her ears. Should she feed him little details or keep it all a secret? It was Harry's life after all. "Remember when we were having conspiracies about Harry suffering from depression?" she asked him and waited for his response. She didn't get a non-verbal response, just a nod from her cousin.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"We were right," she told him. "I um... I found Harry in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom sobbing while...um... Sorry, I shouldn't say anything else. It's his life and he trusted me enough to come out to me. And how, you might ask. I told him a little about my life for the exchange of knowledge about his own. Oh, and I like people trusting me, so I don't want to lose Harry's trust at all."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh," said Draco and he leaned forward a little and placed both elbows on his knees. He rubbed at his nose with his fingers while looking down and contemplated if he should use his Slytherin technique on her to find out what Harry's actually going through. The thought of Harry crying really saddened him and he hoped Harry gets help and doesn't suffer from this alone. "You said Harry was crying. Do you know why?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy was about to open her mouth to answer the question but quickly pressed her lips together. "Yes, I have a good idea why but I'm not going to tell you," she said and nods at first but then shakes her head. "You're going to have to find out for yourself. If he trusts you then he will spill the tea."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Draco half-smiles at her, knowing she was going to tell him just by the way he asked her to. "Right, I have to find out the hard way instead of you telling me," he says and gives a forced sigh. "But what if he doesn't? What if he won't tell me?"

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"He trusts you, but he will come out to you when he is ready," Ivy said just to assure him as she believes Harry will tell Draco anything. She can tell those two are soulmates just by the aura they give off. She is a median after all, but she hasn't told anyone about it. Apart from Draco and Pansy, of course. When she first told them, they had no idea what a median was to her amusement. It's all to do with the paranormal.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I hope so," Draco says and decides to get up from his seat. He yawns and leads her towards the dormitory hallways. "I'm going to bed. I need my beauty sleep, so I don't get bags under my eyes. Oh, and we're going shopping tomorrow."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Yes, Draco, you need to look your best For Harry," Ivy says with a little smirk just to tease him and she pats him on the shoulder. The best part about the cousinship is teasing each other. "We all know it."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Don't push your luck, Ivy," Draco says and turns around when he reaches the entrance into the boy's dormitory hallway. "You better be up by 7 in the morning for our shopping spree or I'm leaving you with Pansy. You know exactly what she's like when she misses out on shopping."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ivy nodded as she knew what he meant. Pansy got crazy and very pissed whenever she misses out on a shopping morning or afternoon. Her whole life's around shopping pretty much. "I won't, and goodnight Draco."

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Night Ivy," Draco says and yawns before he made his way to the 4th year boys' dormitory. He creeps inside, seeing everyone's curtains around their 4-poster beds are closed shut and heads to his own bed. He pushed the curtain aside and crawls in, then gets under the covers and closed his eyes when his head hits the pillow. The first image he sees in his mind is back in the Great Hall as Harry pulls the invisibility cloak over himself so it's just him and Harry, nothing else mattered.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The way Harry's green eyes shone with hidden mischief was beautiful, and that kiss, hidden to the rest of the world was flawless. Draco then had really felt as if he was in some dream, and an amazing dream actually. The kiss to him was perfect as nobody could see them, and they could have stayed there the entire night. He fell asleep thinking about what could have happened if the cloak fell off, and everyone in the Great Hall turned to see what they believe are Rivals snogging. He wouldn't mind if it happened in his dream, but in reality, he would know Ivy and Pansy would be crying their eyes out because of the surprise and Blaise would just be applauding him and Harry and congratulating them. What a dream.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

****************************************************

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Fun Fact: The Harry Potter movies featured an animal production team. Magical creatures aside, there was a slew of ordinary animals in the Harry Potter movies ― and they were overseen by a separate animal production team. played Harry's bird, Hedwig and over a dozen rats portrayed Ron's pet rodent, Scabbers.

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	12. A Christmas Together

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood at the top of the High Street into Hogsmeade. "So, where are we going to meet again?" Hermione asked and looked from Ron to Harry. "The Three Broomsticks in an hour perhaps? Oh, and please, no peeking at what shops I'm going into."

Ron and Harry exchanged glances. They knew that Hermione did all her shopping at Smythwick's bookstore, and there was no danger that they would be shopping there. They both nodded their head at their bushy-haired friend.

"Sure thing, and meet back in one hour," Harry confirmed. He quickly moved down the street to the bookstore to buy Hermione's present. There were a number of Hogwarts students in the shop and Harry poked around looking at the tons of books on display.

He finally found a book that he knew, in his gut, Hermione would like to read. '101 spells and enchantments for the young and talented' and 'The hardest guide to performing magical incantations'. It was perfect! He pulled out the right number of Galleons, gave them to the bookkeeper and left the store. He knew Ron didn't like reading, so he made his way down to the sweet shop, brought some sweets and headed to Zonko's to buy Ron something he knew he'd like.

Harry then went for a little search around Hogwarts to find something for Draco. Yes, he wanted to buy Draco a gift though he knew the blonde probably had everything. It was quite hard to find something Draco would like but he eventually found a few things. He got him a 34 Printing everlasting Moon Lamp which had two colours, white and yellow, and the only way to light it up was by tapping once on it. It reminded him of a muggle gift a little bit just because of its structure. The reason he got this for Draco is that he wanted to show the blonde just how beautiful the silvery moon was, and how unique his silver eyes were.

He also got Draco a Crystal Ball with a 3D solar system inside the glass and a silver stand to go with it. It was to remind him that their friendship means more than the world to him. It's a little cheesy, and Harry knows this, but Harry won't tell him. It would be like a secret Santa. And for Ivy, since he knows she likes witchery stuff he got her some tarot cards and a carved deer skull to put on a wall. Also, for Hermione, he got her a Clutch that looks like an old leather book and a red mug that says 'My books are my best friends', in white cursive letters. He got Ron a black wallet with little hand-stitched snitches on it and an O shaped magnetic levitation globe with the Earth in the centre of it. He just thought that Ron would like to see what the Earth looks like when spinning around and levitating inside a circle.

He hurried to meet Ron and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks. He just hoped Draco and Ivy will like their presents. The only thing that troubled him was how he was going to wrap it. Hermione was the last to arrive, carrying large rectangular packages.

"I am finally Done at last!" She said with a smile and guided them through The Three Broomsticks until they found a seat together on the left side of the restaurant. "Harry, may I please use Hedwig to deliver my parent's presents?"

"Of course, she'll be glad to get out and fly," Harry said and looked around the room. Draco was at a table on the other side of the room. Ron and Hermione had seen him also. Hermione gave Harry a knowing look. Harry looked down at his Butterbeer to hide the clear blush on his face from being caught staring. He felt the need to look up, so he did, Silver eyes locked with Emerald green and Harry smiled at the blonde Slytherin, Draco returned the smile and wriggled his fingers at Harry. Harry nearly fell off his chair as he felt his cheeks burn a darker shade of red and looked back done at his Butterbeer.

Hermione giggled a little at her lovestruck best friend. She just enjoyed watching her best friend fawn over Malfoy. "Honestly, Harry," she whispered over the table to him in a low voice. "Just ask him out. It can't be that hard."

Ron looked at her, then to Harry. He didn't hear what Hermione whispered to Harry from the chatter in the restaurant but shrugged it off as something unimportant and looked around the cafe. He glanced at Blaise Zabini, ignoring whatever weird warm feeling in his heart he felt as he looked at him.

Harry sighed, wishing he could ask Draco out so easily. But he knows how difficult it is. "It's hard and my Gryffindor bravery flies off on its broom, so I stutter and everything," he whispered back to her. "I mean, just look at those silver eyes. So beautiful..." He trailed off and stared at the Slytherin dreamily.

Ivy glanced around the room for a familiar Gryffindor girl with dirty blonde hair but unfortunately doesn't see her. Then she spots Harry looking at her cousin and smiled. She quickly nudged Draco on the shoulder and pointed over to Harry. "Harry keeps staring at you!" she said in a low voice while smirking. She quickly puts the bags of presents she brought on the table furthest away from his so he wouldn't try peeking in.

"Yeah, and?" Draco asked her with raised eyebrows. He was uncertain what she wanted him to do about it. What could he do? He has a feeling Harry hasn't told Granger or Weasel about their friendship so that would be a problem if he just goes up there and asks him out. Unless Harry did tell them, and he wouldn't be mad at all. It's Harry's decision whether he wants to tell his friends or not and if he trusts them enough to not spill it out to the world. "What am I supposed to do about it? Ask him out or something?"

"Yes, Draco!" Ivy said while repeatedly poking Draco's elbow. Why is he not getting it? It's a simple yet not so simple task that needs to be done. "That is exactly what you should do! We all know you like him, there's no hiding it now. Ask him out!"

Draco sighed; he doesn't know how he can put up with his cousin at times. She's always telling him to do this and do that whenever Harry's around. As much as he wants to ask Harry out, he just forgets the question when around Harry as he can only focus on one thing: Harry Potter. "No, I can't because I'll get all stuttery and..."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him. All she wants is for her cousin to do the last question since the first one was too late to be said, except that time Harry actually asked him to be his Yule Ball partner. Oh, she was smiling the entire day as she was so happy for her cousin. "You have to do it someday," she told him in a sad tone. "Remember the promise?"

"I know, I know!" Draco said while fiddling with the handles of the black bags he had his presents for his friends in. "Just... whenever I can." He hoped he got enough presents for his friends. He shopped alone and made sure Pansy didn't sneak in and find what he's buying for her. Speaking of Pansy, she's still shopping. He brought her an engraved silver jewellery box with her name on it in golden letters. He got Blaise a Mystery gift box and hoped that whatever was inside Blaise will like. He also has a box of chocolates for him too. For Harry... well, that's a surprise. And last but not least he got Ivy an engraved black necklace that has 'Best Cousins Forever on it in little silver letters.

Harry just realized he doesn't know who his friends are taking to the ball, he looked up at Hermione with a grin. "So, Hermione, when are you going to tell us who you are going to the dance with? We are going to find out in three days anyway... And how about you Ron?"

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione said, a little shocked as he didn't seem to remember who she was taking. Well, who had asked her? She did tell him a month ago. "Have you forgotten already?"

Harry shrugged and Ron snorted. He then sighed as he looked from Harry to Hermione. "Blaise Zabini actually asked me and I kind of panicked and told him I'm going with Lavender which then I had to actually ask her," he said and scratched his head a little, watching his best friend's surprised expression. "I'm going to ditch her anyway so I can talk to Blaise during the evening."

"Don't ditch her Ron, that's a little rude," Hermione said with a strict shake of her head. She just doesn't want her dormmate to become upset. "Instead, be mature and tell her you want to talk to your friends. It's an easy fix."

"I'll do that," Ron said with a nod. He didn't want to go with her or anyone really. He just needed a date to the Yule Ball so he can get in. "Although when I did ask her, she didn't seem to be pleased. I don't really care though."

Harry nodded at him while Hermione sighed a little. They eventually headed back up to the castle to wrap their gifts and give them to the house-elves for them to deliver the presents on Christmas day.

*****

Due to the Yule Ball coming up as well as Christmas, many people had left Hogwarts to go celebrate with their families. Only Harry, Ron, and a few other students had stayed at Hogwarts. Hermione was off with her family. Ron and Hermione both tried to get Harry to come to the Weasleys for Christmas, but he told them that he was fine and would like to stay at Hogwarts. He knew they'd come back on Christmas day, but only for half the day to spend time with him. He knew that when the Yule Ball neared the students would start to come back.

Harry woke up with a throbbing arm due to him laying on it. He really didn't want to get up and head down to breakfast as he was feeling too numb too. He just wished he could sleep forever but something that kept him from doing just that was Draco and his new friend Ivy Black. Although, he didn't recall asking for her friendship, or even the other way around. Harry believed that Ivy probably thought that he was too much of a freak to be her friend even though she kind of has the same problems as him.

Harry sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes, feeling the stinging sensation in his arm. He looked around the dormitory with blurred vision and grabbed his glasses from on the bedside table and slid them onto his nose. He cast a silent "Tempest!" telling him it was around 5 in the morning on Saturday. He sighed sadly and looked over at his sleeping roommate Ron Weasley who was in the land of dreams. He wished he could have dreams instead of scary nightmares that kept him up all night.

Harry took another glance around the room; Ron was indeed asleep. He slowly lifted his Pajama sleeve up and over his elbow, the cuts he made a few nights ago were still there like always. He just stared at his cuts, remembering the conversation he had with Ivy a few days ago and how he told her about why he's been so depressed. Well, of course, he didn't tell her everything. As in, how he would get abused, where he got abused and when Dudley and his gang bullied him.

Harry decides that he should try the spell to make his cuts disappear just so he knows how to do the spell in case he needed it in the future. He twists his torso and reaches for his wand on his bedside table. He then looks back at his cuts and says goodbye to them as he points his wand at the cuts on his arm. "Vulnus Expleret", he whispers and sways his wand up and down his arm. It does nothing and he tries again. "Vulnus Expleret!" It doesn't work and he starts losing hope a little. He then tries one more time, swaying his wand up and down his arm which then faded his cuts and turned them into scars. It was intriguing to watch but he also missed seeing the red fresh cuts on his arms. At least he could cast the spell easily. It was a simple spell anyway.

He pulled his Pajama sleeve back down past his wrist and tucked himself underneath his bedsheets and tried to fall back asleep. However, he had no luck, so he decided to just lay there until everyone had left the dormitory in the morning.

*****

Christmas

It was Christmas morning; Harry woke up with Christmas presents on his bed. He tried to smile but felt too depressed, so he hugged his arms around his legs and stared at the presents, contemplating whether he deserved them or not. He looked around the room, seeing only Ron sleeping in his bed. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and was thinking about what it would be like to spend time with Draco for Christmas.

He got up and crept down into the empty common room, looking down at the Christmas tree filled with the familiar wizard decorations. He sighed miserably and stared under the tree, seeing more presents piled up underneath the dark green leaves. The Dursleys never got him presents for Christmas, not even his birthday. It was miserable. The only time he was given Christmas was in his first year with Ron as he stayed at Hogwarts.

He then walked back up to the dorm as it was quite boring being up alone especially on Christmas. But Christmas should be spent with family, family which he does not have. By the time he entered the dormitory, Ron was already sitting up in bed and wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning Ron and Merry Christmas," Harry said drowsily and gave a weak pensive smile. This is his fourth Christmas ever, and he is kind of glad that Ron stayed behind so he wasn't lonely. But loneliness on Christmas day would have been a good but woeful thing to him. It just meant more time to suffer, but to top that off he does get presents. But does he even deserve the presents for the lies he has told everyone?

"Morning," Ron said sleepily as he rubbed at his face, then he looked up at Harry with surprise. He forgot it was Christmas. "Merry Christmas, Harry!"

Harry gave him a fake smile and wandered back over to his bed. he started to open a small present. Inside the wrapping paper were mismatched socks, one red with little broomsticks and the other green with Snitches. He read the little card, "Merry Christmas, Harry Potter! From Dobby'. Merry Christmas to you too, Dobby! he thought. He placed them back on his bed and grabbed the next present.

It was heavier than the socks, he read the little card on the front 'Merry Christmas, Harry! From Hermione'. He carefully opened the present, revealing a book titled 'Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland'. He picked up a familiar-looking present that could only be from Mrs Weasley.

He opened the next present to reveal another Weasley sweater with some fudge. It was a lovely present, and he hasn't had fudge in so long. He then picked up another present from Ron which he looked up and gave Ron a small fake smile, which Ron returned but with a real smile, and opened the present. Dungbombs. "Thank you, Ron, and say thanks to your mother for me."

"Merry Christmas to you too!" Ron told him in a subdued voice all because of the early morning important day. But Harry just didn't know what use Dungbombs were for him. He'll figure it out someday. "Thanks for the gifts, Harry!"

"It's no problem, and thanks for the Dungbombs," Harry said with a forced smile and dipped his chin a little. And then he noticed the silver wrapped present with a black ribbon over it and out of curiosity, he reached for it and placed it in his lap. It didn't have who it was by so that made him a little more intrigued.

"No Problem!" Ron said as he began to get dressed into his Weasley Sweater and some grey sweatpants. "Let's go downstairs. I'm sure there are more presents there for us."

Harry nodded and while Ron made his way down to the common room, Harry got dressed into his new Weasley Sweater, some black jeans and old sneakers and went down to the common room a little slowly. He then sees the green fir Christmas tree that stands seven feet high in the common room. Underneath the tree are a few more colourful presents, and he sees Ron already looking through the gifts.

He walked down the steps into the common room and joined Ron down on the carpet in front of the tree. He notices Ron pulling out two piles of presents, and he looks down at the labels telling them whose presents were whose. A silver-wrapped present with a black ribbon catches his eye and he couldn't believe it was for him.

He immediately, but slowly and carefully started opening the present and the first thing he sees is yellow fabric. Curious, he pulls out the yellow fabric from the package and recognizes it as a hoodie. A yellow hoodie that smells brand new and is his direct size. But that wasn't all he got. He was given two long-sleeved cotton shirts in a range of dark blue and black. The same colour applied for the two long-sleeved button-down shirts. And he got another hoodie but coloured forest green. In pants, he got black chinos, jeans that actually fit him, and some trousers.

Harry just couldn't believe he got clothes from... He looked at the wrapping paper but noticed the present didn't have a tag or a name from who sent it. At least he has clothes other than the baggy ones he's worn his entire life and whatever other hand-me-downs he gets from Dudley. But the problem was how he's going to hide these clothes from his uncle when he goes back to that hell hole. Maybe Ivy knows a spell that would help him hide his items like she knew the Vulnus Expleret spell.

He distracted himself by grabbing another present which was wrapped in a shiny peach coloured wrapping paper with a yellow ribbon that was for him, and so he opened it. Inside was a weighted blanket which came with a little note. ' are a soothing and comforting way to relieve anxiety and sleeplessness. They can also help generally with stress or depression. -We love you, Harry. Always remember that. I & D'

He gave a sad smile at the note and put it aside on the weighted blanket. Who is I and D? Whoever they are he thanked them from within. Maybe I & D are initials, but he knows nobody with those initials. Inside that same present was three little boxes which he read the description. They were Votivo candles with individual scents such as Lavender, Vanilla, and Chamomile. It was quite interesting, and he wondered who these gifts were from. He didn't recognize the handwriting on the description of the blanket either.

He looks under the tree and sees a few more presents. He looks back at Ron and noticed that he has a few chocolate frogs, some fuzzy socks, and a gift voucher for Zonko's. Harry still was surprised that he's been getting thoughtful gifts from a mysterious person, so he opens the next one which has the same peach colour wrapping paper.

He finds a cylindrical tube of powder inside that's supposed to be a Natural Calm Magnesium Drink in the flavour of raspberry lemonade. He'll definitely try this drink thing just to see what it is like. The next thing in the gift is a chocolate hamper full of what he knows as muggle sweets such as Hershey's, M&Ms, Cadbury, Ferrero's, and Lindt. It confused him a little. Who does he know that knows about muggles? Could it be from Hermione? But she gave him the book... He looks over the note from the mysterious person named 'I & D'. It then hit him a few minutes later. Ivy and Draco. So, he did get presents from them.

"I'm hungry," Ron suddenly said, interrupting Harry from his thoughts about who could have gotten him these things. "Can we go to breakfast now?"

Harry nodded down at his presents and loaded everything onto the blanket, so he only had to make a one-way trip up to the dorm room. "Sure," he says in a flat voice as he stands up with the weighted blanket in his arms and everything else, he was given was piled up on the blanket. "I'll just deliver these to the dorm so we can go."

Ron nods back and heads up to the dormitory with Harry just to put his presents in his trunk. Harry does the same and puts everything he was gifted in his trunk. Even the items on his bed he put in his trunk just so he can follow Ron down for breakfast.

In the Great Hall, he was seeing the familiar 12 gigantic Christmas trees filled with wizarding ornaments and decorations. But what and who he didn't expect to see made him slightly happier. It was Draco Malfoy who was wearing a Slytherin green jumper with black jeans and Dragon leather boots. He had his Slytherin scarf around his neck and had a black beanie on his blonde head.

Although Draco wasn't alone. Ivy Black was next to him and was silently singing Muggle Christmas songs. She was wearing a black Christmas sweater saying "Merry Krampus" with black leggings and her regular gothic platform boots. And on the other side of the table was Blaise Zabini who wore a dark green Christmas sweater and black trousers with black boots.

Harry made his way down the Gryffindor table and sat with Ron. He was looking at all the Christmas breakfast foods the tables had to offer and decided on a plate of pancakes with maple syrup just so Ron wouldn't get suspicious of him not eating. He hadn't taken the second vial of potion yet though he knew he should have.

Harry looked up at Ron and sighed after quickly glancing at Draco. He hadn't paid attention to the few other students who stayed for the holidays such as a few Hufflepuff's in a big group, Ravenclaws in a small group of friends and Slytherins. He thought about telling Ron about the truce and decided he should do it now than later. "Um... Ron?"

Ron looked up at Harry with a mouthful of waffle. He chewed and swallowed it down so he could say, "Yeah?" He's been so hungry and caught up with eating food that he didn't see Draco staring over at them.

Harry took a deep breath and sighed. Here goes nothing. He just hoped Ron will take it well. "Have I ever told you about the truce I made with Draco?" he asked his best mate and watches as Ron's jaw suddenly parted. "I know it's shocking to hear..."

Ron looked at Harry then to Malfoy then back at Harry with a surprised face. He ever thought the impossible was possible until now. Unless Harry was messing with him. "No," he said and shook his head but then he sees Zabini and felt his face go warm. It was probably the fireplace doing that. The look Harry gave him told him that no lie or joke was being said. "And what's with calling him Draco instead of... you know, Malfoy?"

"Well, we made a truce at the start of the year and I was hoping that I could go and sit with him and Ivy," Harry said and began stabbing his fork in the pancake in front of him on the plate. Every time the fork went through the pancake a 'clink' would be heard as it hits the plate. "I'm calling him Draco because it's his first name, Ron."

Ron thought for a moment about letting Harry sit over there with Malfoy. He didn't want Harry to go alone so he would tag along. "Okay then, we can go sit with them," he said but was unwilling to go. This was Malfoy they were talking about for Merlin's sake. "But if he says anything rude about my family or friends, I swear I will hex him to the next week! And the main reason I'm going to go sit with them is that Zabini's there and he's a cool dude."

"I'll make sure he doesn't, and thanks for understanding," Harry said and was glad Ron could put the differences aside for once. It was nice to know Ron was making friends with a Slytherin. His smile genuinely built as he looked over at the Slytherin table behind Ron. Draco was chatting to Ivy while eating jam scones and drinking what looked like Eggnog.

Ron smiled and waved a dismissed hand at him, hoping Harry was right and that Malfoy won't start anything. "By the way, who's Ivy?" He asked as he once again began stuffing his mouth full of waffles.

Harry pointed behind Ron at the Slytherin table to a girl with Black hair sitting next to Draco. "She's the girl sitting next to Draco," he said and watched as Draco got some jam on his top lip. To his disappointment, he watched Draco use a napkin instead of using his tongue to get that jam off his lip. "She's really nice."

"Okay, I'll meet you over there soon," Ron said as he tried to finish off his waffles fast. He always wondered what Harry was up to since the beginning of the year as he would always go off somewhere and never return until class time. It worried him a lot, and if he knew Harry was with Malfoy, well, as long as he's happy.

Harry nodded, got up from his seat with his plate of pancakes and began walking over to the Slytherin table. He was glad there are only two Slytherins left behind otherwise it would be a little awkward. "Merry Christmas, guys!"

Ivy looked up at the person approaching her and her cousin and smiled. She hoped he liked the gifts she gave him. She had to go to the muggle world to get it all which she didn't mind at all. "Merry Christmas, Harry!"

"Merry Christmas, Harry!" Draco said with a big warm smile and his cheeks became warm as he sees Harry's fluffy messy hair all messed up. He wondered how Harry could just leave Weasel easily and come over to sit with them.

"May I..." Harry starts shyly and he looks to the floor awkwardly. This shouldn't be too hard. "Um, can I join you please?" He still sounded quite shy, and it only added when he saw Draco smiling at him.

Ivy nodded her head and Draco gestured Harry to sit while Blaise just smiled and looked behind him like he's trying to find someone. "Of course, you can sit with us, Harry," Draco said a little boldly. Then he looked at the plate in Harry's hand and noticed it was pancakes. But the pancake hasn't even been eaten yet. He hopes Harry has taken the next vile. To change the subject he asks, "So, why isn't Weasel with you?"

Harry gave a little half-smile as he sits down on the other side of Draco and Ivy next to Blaise and puts his plate of pancakes down. He then sees Ivy's phone on the table but thinks nothing of it. As much as he would rather Draco call Ron by his given name or just Weasley, he doesn't mind if it's still 'Weasel'. It's a little funny and he admits it.

Ivy nudged Draco in the arm, a little worried about how Harry must be feeling when calling his friend, a 'Weasel'. "Draco," she hissed and fought to not hit him on the arm for being rude. "Play nice!"

Harry bites his lip as he then wondered if Draco and Ivy liked the presents that he got them. "It's okay, and he's coming," he said even though he didn't know when Ron would come over to them. Maybe he chickened out and went to talk to someone else. "Just promise me you'll not start fighting, especially since it's Christmas."

Draco nodded as a promise that he won't start anything with the Weasel. But then that just leaves Weasel with not starting the fight with him. "Fine," he muttered and then looked at Harry a little seriously. "Just make sure he doesn't start the fights."

Harry smiled at Draco. He asked Ron not to and he trusts Ron to keep his promise. He just hopes both boys will keep their promises. "Oh, he won't," he told him with an honest tone, and a little sigh as Draco gave him a charming smile.

Ron came out of nowhere and sat down on the Slytherin table in between Harry and Blaise. He extended his arm over the table when he sees the girl he's never seen before. Was she new to Hogwarts or has he not paid attention to anyone except for the Gryffindor's? "Hello, I'm Ron."

Ivy smiled at Ron and tried to make it as big as possible as she reaches over and shakes his hand. "Hello Ron, I'm Ivy," she says and after the handshake, she grabs her fork and cuts mini slices into the strawberry jam scone. "Ivy Black."

Ron gave Ivy a questioning look, feeling like he knows that name from somewhere. He shook the thought off and looks down at the scones in front of him. "Nice to meet you, Ivy," he said and decides to give Blaise and Malfoy a smile.

Harry stared at the plate of pancake in front of him, feeling slightly sick just by looking at it. But he doesn't want to feel sick just by looking at food. He wants to be able to eat something but when he tries to, whatever he eats just tastes like ashes and it comes back up minutes later.

Draco saw Harry staring sickly at the pancake. It was the same look Ivy gives food when she doesn't eat. He sighed and wondered when Harry last had a vial of the potion when he should be having one every week. "Harry, are you alright?" he said with a worried smile. "I can make a few more vials of the potion for you."

Harry looked up at Draco, getting lost in the silver eyes that stared right back at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assured him with a little nod and a smile that made Draco's heart flutter secretly. "You make the vials if you want. Or we can make them together sometime. I'm sick and tired of not eating."

"Then eat," Ron mumbled and he reached for a long red and white peppermint candy cane in a woven white basket. He tried to take the candy cane out of its wrapping but like always he found it hard to.

Ivy's smile shrunk back down to a frown as Ron said that. She knows how it feels to be in Harry's position, to not want to eat because it makes you feel sick and the food tastes disgusting. It sucks and she knows it. She then picks up her phone from the table and starts taking pictures of the large Christmas trees, the other students, and Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Ron for memories.

Blaise sighs at the Gryffindor trying to unwrap the candy cane. "Give it here, Ronald," he drawls and shows Ron his palm. The Gryffindor looked a little uncertain but gave him the candy cane. Blaise easily unwrapped the candy cane in a matter of seconds and gave it back to Ron. "There you go. Now shut your mouth and suck on it."

Ron's ears turned a little red, and then his face, at what the Slytherin told him to do though he was going to eat the candy cane either way. And he put the end of the candy cane in his mouth, blushing a little as the Italian Slytherin just stared at him, and so he looked away and ignored the weird feeling in his stomach and heart he was feeling.

Draco knew what he had to do for Harry. He had to feed him himself. "Harry, you need to eat," he said softly and decides to get up. He walked over the table, trying to miss stepping on the foods and sat beside Harry. He then grabbed a piece of toast and started buttering it with lemon flavoured jam. He ripped the toast carefully up into little bite-sized pieces and held one up for Harry.

"Um..." was all Harry managed to say as he stared at Draco trying to feed him food like a child. His blush returned to his face as he thought about letting Draco do this, and so he wanted this to happen even if it makes him seem like a child. It was sweet what Draco was doing but he could feed himself... just not right now. He wasn't hungry.

Draco rolled his eyes at him but smiles at the obvious blush on his friend's face. "Open your mouth, Harry," he orders and pokes Harry's bottom lip with the shred of toast. It was fascinating watching the bread push into Harry's lip a little. "If you won't feed yourself then I will."

"And if you're not going to eat that pancake I will," said Blaise as he reached under Ron's arms and grabbed Harry's plate. He didn't want to let it go to waste so he started cutting up his own pieces to eat.

Harry opened his mouth at the order and started feeling Draco place a little slice of bread inside his mouth. He started chewing, tasting the ashy taste the bread left but when looking at Draco's smile the taste changed to a really nice lemony flavour. He liked this really nice flavour.

Draco smirked a little and realized that Harry was actually liking the flavour of the jam. He did too. Lemon was his favourite flavouring in nearly everything. Some say it's weird, but he doesn't. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Ivy cupped her hand over her mouth and giggled silently at the two oblivious boys in love with one another. She was just finding this so adorable and she wanted to see more. She wanted to see some kissing but secretly she didn't know that her cousin and Harry have kissed and even a couple of times.

Ron stared at the two boys in shock. He had no clue what was going on except Malfoy feeding his best mate food. It was just... weird. But he admitted to himself that it looked kind of... adorable. But guys shouldn't be doing this... Beside him, Blaise was smiling at the thought of him feeding Ron or even the other way around.

Draco grabbed another small bite-sized piece of toast and waited until Harry had finished eating the first one, then gave the next piece to Harry. It was amusing to watch Harry eat, though at times he had to look away because it would just be awkward having someone stare at you while eating.

Harry ate the piece of toast that he was given and blushed, he'd been staring at Draco's lips the entire time. He quickly looked up into those Silver eyes he loves and grabs a small piece of toast off the plate beside him and placed it in front of Draco's mouth. Two can play it that way. He'll eat the rest soon.

Draco felt his cheeks warm up and slowly opened his mouth to let Harry put in the piece of toast. This was a twist for him. He didn't think this would happen at all. All he thought was going to happen is feeding Harry by hand and nothing else. He already ate breakfast anyway so there's no point in eating anything else. But he did this for Harry just because he fed Harry first and probably embarrassed him.

Harry smiled a bit and grabbed another small piece of toast from the plate. He actually liked doing this. He then fed the next piece to Draco and watched as the blonde ate it. He watched those soft cheek muscles move as he ate, and that sharp jawbone moves up and down.

Draco grabbed another piece of toast and fed it to Harry just to finish off where he was getting at earlier. He wasn't going to let Harry control this situation. He made sure Harry finished the whole plate off, so he knew Harry had eaten something and had enough energy to get around the castle.

"Thanks, Draco," Harry said with an embarrassed smile and a flush crept across his cheeks. He cleared his throat and thought of Draco feeding him again which actually didn't sound too bad. It's weird to admit but he likes Draco feeding him. It's like couples do except he and Draco aren't together. The thought of it put a smile on his face. He and Draco have only kissed twice but on the cheek a few times. He'd do anything to get another kiss from Draco and to feel the slide of his lips on his own.

Draco gave Harry a charming smile at the green-eyed Gryffindor. He saw Harry had a little bit of lemon jam on his top lip and so he thought of something fun to do. "Harry, you have a bit of-," he said, pointing at the top left corner of his mouth which was in the wrong direction. He did that purposely.

Harry wiped his sweater sleeve over the top left corner of his mouth and looked down at his sleeve. He didn't see anything sticky on his sweater but thought that lemon jam wouldn't leave a kind of mess or mark. "Did I get it?"

Draco smiled and shook his head, a little bit of mischief showed in his face which made Blaise and Ivy silently chuckle. "Here, let me get it for you," he said and reached his hand over to wipe his thumb over Harry's top right corner of Harry's mouth. When the jam was now on his thumb, he popped his thumb in his mouth and sucked it clean. He kept trailing his thumb over Harry's top and bottom lip. "You know, you have a really pretty smile." He sounded a little dreamy, but of course, he was always in a loving mood when Harry was around.

Harry blushed at the compliment as well as having Draco wipe his thumb over his lips made his heartbeat rapidly. Especially when Draco used his saliva to wipe over his lip. "T-Thanks, Draco," he said a little nervously and rubbed his hands down his pants. "Um-, y-you have really pretty lips." If it was possible, his blush deepened as he just admitted something that he shouldn't have.

Ron knew what was going on, Draco Malfoy was flirting with his best mate. He tried not to snort so he quickly stole a few pieces of pancake from Blaise's plate and stuffed his mouth with it. He felt a little jealous, he didn't have that to do with anybody. Hell, the only guy he knew was attractive was Zabini but knew the wizard wouldn't be all mushy like that.

Draco felt his cheeks redden more knowing Harry just complimented him. And not just him, his lips. Merlin, now he just wanted to kiss Harry in front of Blaise, Ivy, and the Weasel. He should do it just to see Weasel's reaction though. But he didn't because... there were professors at the Professor's table, and he didn't want them to see. Now even Professor Snape.

Ivy just wanted to make voodoo dolls of Draco and Harry and just get them to kiss. She'd just love it! She then started singing again but in a softer voice. "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells. Jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!"

Draco and Harry just stared into one another's eyes in silence, both wanting to lean in but not knowing if they should. They didn't want their professors seeing, or the other students from other houses who stayed at Hogwarts for the Holidays. They just have a feeling that the other students will tell their friends and housemates when everyone comes back and then everyone would be staring at them.

Ivy sighed and tapped her fingers on the table with boredom, wishing she really had those tarot cards she got for Christmas so she can see if she will be lucky today. "Just kiss already!" she mumbled quietly enough so nobody could hear her as Ron and Blaise were talking amongst each other, and there was a little more chatting coming from around them and the Professor's table.

Sooner than later, breakfast was finished and people either went back up to their dorms or stayed behind. It was a chilly month, so the students mainly went up to their common rooms to spend their day there. Harry, Draco, Ron, Blaise, and Ivy were the only ones left in the Great Hall.

Ivy thought of something fun to do. She loved having snowball fights and building snowmen and why not have some fun with everyone? It would be a great way to make friendships bloom. "Let's go outside!"

Draco looked outside the windows at the snow falling on the grounds of Hogwarts. Even looking at the snow made him shiver a little, but then the contact of Harry's hand touching his just slightly made him feel all warm inside. "Outside?" he asked with a disbelieving voice. "In this cold weather? Nuh-uh!"

"Why not?" Harry asked them and gave Draco a little nudge in the elbow with a smile. "It can't be that cold? And warming Charms work you know. We can cast them upon us before we exit out of the castle to wherever Ivy takes us."

"Alright, fine," Draco drawled and smiled back at Harry, just to assure him that he will come with them. He doesn't exactly want to miss out on anything fun that could happen if he doesn't go. Plus, Harry will be there, so he has some entertainment and someone to watch. "I'll come. Even though it's chilly out there."

"Great!" said Harry and he looked beside him at Ron who was in a conversation with Blaise about something. He didn't know what they were talking about, but he heard something about music and dancing. He looked back at Draco and Ivy. "Let's go. I'm guessing Ron's to busy talking to Blaise so we should leave them here."

"What?" Ron asked as he looked over at Harry, but Harry, Ivy and Draco were already getting up to go somewhere. He didn't want to miss out on anything fun, and he wanted Blaise to come too. "Wait for us!" He yelled and got up, grabbing Blaise by the arm while ignoring the Italian's "WhOAh!" and caught up with them.

Draco linked arms with Harry for fun but also so it would look like they were a couple. There wasn't anybody around them so he could pretty much hold hands with him, but that would just make his cheeks burn with an obvious blush which he doesn't want anybody seeing. His pale skin can't hide a blush as well as Harry's porcelain skin can.

Harry felt his cheeks warm up as Draco linked arms with him, and he tightened the grip a little. He walked with Draco out into the snowy grounds, which Ivy was leading them, and Ron and Blaise were behind them. He remembered the last time they linked arms together, under the invisibility cloak after flying. It was a great night, even if he did wake up with a red face from windburn. One thing they haven't done is hold hands though.

"Eeeek!" Ivy squealed as she exited the castle front doors into the Courtyard and ran up to a mound of snow. She started rolling up balls of snow and then threw one at Harry and Draco with a mischievous smile.

"Hey!" Draco spat while shielding his face with his free arm while Ron and Blaise laugh gleefully at him. But then Ivy grabs two other snowballs and throws them at Blaise and Ron just so they know what it feels like.

"It's so on, Ivy!" Harry said, his voice rising with excitement, but he also sounded quite challenging. He unlinked his arms with Draco and ran over to another mound of snow. He rolled some snow into a ball and threw it right at Ivy who laughed and threw one right back at him, hitting him on the side of the neck. He groaned from the cold wet snow and rubbed his neck repeatedly to try and warm it.

Draco watched his two friends with a smile. He decided to join in with the two and make his own snowballs but got hit by a snowball from Ron and Blaise. Bloody Teams. In fact, when did teams come into this? "I'll get you two for that!"

Ron poked his tongue out at Draco while Blaise just smirked at him while hiding behind a tree. "Catch us if you can, Malfoy," Ron said with a grin and decides to run off in the opposite direction of Blaise just to try making his own snowballs.

Draco was going to throw some snowballs at Weasley but fought back the temptation, all he wanted was to be near Harry, Blaise, and Ivy. His favourite three people. Except for Pansy of course, but she was with her family for the holidays. He snuck behind a tree and found a big mound of snow. With a smirk, he rolled as much snow into balls and started chucking them at Ivy, Blaise, and Harry and ducking behind the tree, so they don't see him.

Of course, Harry felt curious to who threw those snowballs. He got hit in the face with one anyway and glanced at Ivy. He made another snowball and hit Ivy in the back as she was making more. He chuckled and watched her squeal because of how cold it was.

Draco, who was behind a tree, gathered up more snowballs and started throwing them at Harry. As soon as Harry looked over to where he was, he ducked down, and Harry snuck around the tree Draco was behind and hit him on the back by one of his own snowballs.

"Gottcha!" Harry said with a chuckle and helped the Slytherin up from the ground. However, the blonde Slytherin had other plans as he pulled Harry down with him until they were both on the ground, Harry on top of Draco. They stared at each other, into their eyes which gradually looked down at the other's lips and remembered the last time they kissed.

Harry blinks at the sight of Draco below him, so handsome and perfect with his high cheekbones, and sharp jawline, shiny silver eyes, pointy-natural pink lips, soft white-blonde hair, and a beautiful pink tinge to his cheeks. He smiles and looks around them, seeing no Ron, Blaise, or Ivy in his sight. He looks back down at Draco and bites his lip.

Draco rolls his eyes at the Gryffindor who he believes is somewhat scared of others seeing them like this. He wanted to kiss Harry and wouldn't care if anyone saw it because all the other students and Professors were in the warm castle. The only people who will see him and Harry are Ivy, Blaise, and Weasel. He doesn't care.

He grabs Harry's sweater in one fist and yanks Harry down further towards him. Harry hesitates a little, knowing what the Slytherin wants and so he gives it to him. But first, his right hand came up and caressed the blonde Slytherin's pale cheek with a tinge of pink just to feel the softness of him, and to study his face close up.

"Merlin, Potter," Draco whispers, a little impatiently though he loves how Harry's caressing his cheek as it made butterflies flutter around his stomach and a sudden warmth spreads through his body. "Just kiss me already." He reached his hands up and wrapped them around Harry's neck, smiling as Harry started leaning down.

Harry just couldn't take not kissing Draco. And Draco practically asked him to so he's not going to let this kiss go away easily. Excitement coursed through him like it's a new type of blood had been injected into his veins. Then he leaned down and watched silver eyes full of stars, and the moon and silver diamonds flutter close and it only made his heart start hammering its way out of his chest. The Slytherin leaned up a little until their lips connected, and Harry felt his heart skip a beat so he pushed him down a little to indicate Draco should lower his head back down so his neck doesn't cramp and that's what he did.

Draco unconsciously tilted his head to the side a little to deepen the kiss. With one hand, Harry took the black beanie off Draco's head and let it drop to the ground and Draco ran his hands through Harry's messy black hair. They kissed more and more passionately by the second, and Draco's hand slipped under Harry's red sweater and up his spine. He felt a tremor go through Harry's body which excited him a lot at knowing his touches can do this to Harry.

Harry pulls away quite quickly as he hears the snow crunch in front of them, and he looks up. Blaise Zabini had crouched down and stared at them with an amused smirk on his face. The bloody Slytherin saw everything but he doesn't really mind. "Y-You're not going to tell?"

Draco looks behind him at his best friend from Slytherin house and smiles. It seems that he and Harry had been spotted and watched after all. At least someone knows. But then again, he would have to tell Blaise that he and Harry have been kissing for a few weeks. It would be a nice conversation to have though.

"Your secret's safe with me if that is what you want," said Blaise and his smirk then turned into a genuine smile. "And this was quite a nice sight to see. I do hope you keep this up, but right now I believe you should get off each other before anybody else sees you."

Harry and Draco nodded, but it was Harry who got up off Draco first and helped the blonde Slytherin up from the cold ground. They stare into the other's eyes for a moment, still holding the others hand until Blaise had to clear his throat with a smile and walk off.

Harry let go of Draco's hand and a blush spreads across his cheeks. "Um," he says and presses his lips together, then he smiles at the event that just happened. He had kissed Draco again. It was his third kiss with him, and he hoped there will be more kisses in the future. "That was... remarkable, Draco!"

Draco blushes at the compliment of how good he made Harry feel and he rubbed the side of his neck with a smile. "Yeah, it was," he said, and he thought of what else to say since they were having a moment. "Harry... I um, I- I really like you. And more than a best friend." He felt like he just released a breath of relief that he seemed to forget he had in him.

Harry just stares into those silver eyes. He didn't believe what he was hearing. Draco Malfoy just admitted his feelings for him. No, it just couldn't be real. It had to be some trick. But those eyes looked at him in a way that told him that he'd not lying. "Draco, I like-" But he was cut off.

"Harry? Draco? Where are you?" a female voice called out from a few feet in front of the tree Harry and Draco was behind. It was Ivy. "Oh, I bet they're trying to get me back for the snowballs and are teaming up with one another. Very funny, guys! If you can hear me."

Harry and Draco decide that they should make an appearance. But first, Draco reaches his hands up to Harry's cheeks and cups them while smiling. He caresses those soft cheeks gently which then he makes a split-second decision to pull Harry into a quick, random hug. He just hasn't gotten a hug from Harry in what feels like ages and he misses them. They're like a hug directly from a warm comfy blanket or a teddy bear.

Harry was a little surprised when Draco hugged him since they haven't hugged in so long. He wished hugs and kisses are recent things that happen nearly every day. Every day seems better actually. He digs his nose in the side of Draco's neck and smells that delicious scent of citrus. It was captivating and made it feel like he was nearly levitating a few inches off the ground. "You know, I still got you, he whispers into Draco's ear, and his breath ghosts on the Slytherin's neck as he hugs him back a little tighter.

It wasn't until Harry kissed his neck that Draco actually felt his pants tighten. But he knew it wasn't his pants doing it. He knew exactly what was going on, but he chose to ignore the feeling as much as he could. "Oh, is that so?" He then asks and smirks at what this could come back to. It seems the snowball fight must happen again.

"I know so," Harry said with a sneaky smile and leans out of the hug though he doesn't want to as it's nice and warm and comfortable. He just knows Ivy and Ron would be looking around for them while Blaise, he hopes, is staying away from their location so he doesn't give it away. He then walks back around the tree to make himself visible to everyone.

Draco kneeled down and gathered up a couple of snowballs in his hands, ready for a snow fight. As Harry's back was turned to him, he took his chance and threw a snowball at Harry. It hit him right on the neck, and it hoped that it hurt so he can go kiss it better whenever he's next alone with Harry.

Harry stood there frozen, feeling the cold snow hit his neck. Whoever threw that is going down in the snow. He shivered from the contact of the cold snow and turned around, seeing Draco with an armful of snowballs. "You- Sneaky snake!"

Draco shrugged and gave Harry a half-smile. He enjoys riling Harry up a lot, but he makes sure it won't mentally hurt Harry, whatever mean thing he does or says. "It's why I'm a Slytherin, Harry," he said boldly and throws another snowball at Harry. It just misses him when Harry ducks to the ground.

Harry rolled his eyes playfully and wiped the snow from his shoulders and front of his jumper. He wished he brought gloves with him and his damn Gryffindor scarf. "Shall we sneak up on Ivy, Blaise or Ron?" He then asks just so the Slytherin will hopefully stop throwing snowballs at him.

Draco smirked at the thought of getting Blaise and Weasel back. "Weasel and Blaise for sure," he said, and he seemed to have a gleam of excitement in his eye. "I'd love to get them back! Don't you want to, or have you not been hit by their snowballs?"

"It's Ron, not Weasel," Harry corrected him. "And yes, I've been hit once or twice by Blaise and Ron. However, Ivy and you have hit me multiple times so I believe I should be getting you back. Isn't that right, Draco?"

Draco steps back just out of wariness, knowing Harry could get him back in ways that he doesn't know of. "N-No, you shouldn't be getting me back," he stuttered a little and cocked his head to the side. But he knows that Harry is right. He and Ivy were the ones throwing the most snowballs. "It should be Blaise and Weasel. They deserve it!"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, a little unimpressed at Draco far hating on Ron's family when they have done absolutely nothing. "Why do you hate the Weasleys so much?" he asked in a soft voice. "I mean, I know they are apparently 'Blood Traitors', whatever that means to you but seriously. Why?"

"I don't hate them, Harry," Draco said with a placating voice, and he shakes his head. "They're blood traitors because they live with Muggles, live like Muggles. But I've come to realize that they just want to live happily. Can't stop them from living their own life." He gave him a little smile and squatted to the floor to begin making another snowball. He looked up at him, and a single snowflake landed on the tip of his nose. He didn't even bother to brush it off. "Shall we?"

Harry smiled at the snowflake on Draco's nose, finding it cute and it made the Slytherin's eyes shine like stars in a night sky. He then began helping Draco make snowballs, forgetting about the fact that Draco had hit him with more snowballs than anyone else. "We shall."

The two boys snuck around the tree, carrying their snowballs and they glanced at each other as they saw Ivy making a snow angel. They grinned and began throwing their snowballs at her, trying to get her face and any part of her that showed some skin like the neck or the hands.

"Hey!" Ivy yelled as she hid her face from the snowballs that were being thrown at her unexpectedly. She felt the cold snow on her face and shivered. "I'll get you!" she just made out in a shaky voice and looked over at the two people throwing cold icicles at her. It was Draco and Harry. She quickly got up and started throwing her snowballs she hid to her side at Harry and Draco from the ground.

Harry ducked just in time, but Draco wasn't so lucky as it hit him straight in the face. Harry laughed and pointed at Draco who squinted his eyes because of the cold ice snowball. Draco sighed and sent a snowball at Harry but just missed as it flew over Harry's shoulder.

"Ha-ha!" Harry teased and smirked at the blonde whose white-blonde hair had snow on it. It was beautiful actually. But that would be cold, and he knows it. "Nice shot, Draco. You missed by a few inches."

Draco sent another snowball at Harry, hitting him right on the nose. He smiled as Harry started sneezing and he hoped that Harry didn't get any up his nose. He knows what it's like. "That was all karma, Harry."

Ivy saw them and watched them with a smile. She hoped something exciting was going to happen, so she reached for her phone in the pocket of her jumper, turns it on and swipes through her apps until she came to the camera. She immediately started recording them, so she has videos to show Pansy when she gets back from the holidays.

Harry laughed and wiped the snow off of his nose. He walked over, gave Draco a smile and reached up to brush the snow off his whiteish blonde hair. He ran his fingers through Draco's hair, loving how soft it is under his fingers. He remembered the times he ran his fingers through Draco's hair. The time when making the sleeping potion, he remembered Draco taking the sleeping potion and falling into a deep sleep. Well, that's what he thought. He remembered stroking the blonde hair and leaning in to kiss Draco as he lay there sleeping. He just wanted to kiss Draco again and feel those soft lips kiss his own again.

Draco closed his eyes as he felt Harry's hands in his hair, and he sighed because it was a nice feeling having Harry caress his hair. Harry traced his hand down Draco's cheek, and his eyes trailed down to Draco's silvery eyes which opened and stared right back at him with passion and need. He watched as Draco's eyes looked down to his lips then looked back up again to his eyes again. They both felt the need to lean in and so they did.

"Bloody hell!" Ron dropped the snowballs he had, and they all fell with a 'splat' on the floor, crumbling to pieces. What he had just seen or was about to see made him drop all the snowballs he was going to throw at Harry, Ivy and Malfoy. He was shocked, surprised but also confused. How did he not see this coming? He knew the two had become friends, well that's what he thought. A truce agreeing to friendship, or even more.

Draco and Harry whipped their heads around and looked at a shocked Ron. They were only inches away from kissing and he interfered on the moment. They both took a startled step back from one another with blushes on their cheeks.

Ivy giggled at the two boys, she'd been watching them playing and come nearly close to kissing. If only Ron hadn't come, they'd be kissing right now. She was just so excited to see her cousin and Harry have their first kiss together but that's just what she thought. Little did she know those two had already kissed and even a couple of times. She then pressed stop on the recording and put her phone back in her pocket.

"Mate?" Ron asked and hesitated, he looked over at Draco. He just didn't want to believe this. He couldn't. After three years of the rivalry, it has actually come to something new. "I swear Malfoy. If you did anything to him-"

"He didn't do anything, Ron!" came the infuriated voice of Ivy Black. She picked up a snowball from the pile of snowballs she made and threw a snowball at him. Then she began muttering something in French. "Comment osez-vous empiéter sur ce moment! Ne voyez-vous pas qu'ils allaient s'embrasser?!" (How dare you intrude on this moment! Don't you see they were going to kiss?!)

Ron looked at Ivy with utter confusion, not knowing what she's saying. To him, it sounded like Ivy had stuffed a ton of food in her mouth and was trying to speak. It was hard to understand but then he realized she was speaking French.

Draco, on the other hand, knew what his cousin was saying in French. He blushed redder - if that is possible. But at least nobody could understand her beside him and Blaise. "Tu sais que je peux te comprendre, non?" ("You know I can understand you, right?")

"Bien sûr, je sais que tu parles français, Draco," she said in her soft French-British accent. "Je le parle pour une raison." ("Of course, I know you speak French, Draco. I'm speaking it for a reason.") She sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a migraine start to come.

Draco sighed and walked up to his cousin. He has a feeling that she's getting one of those headaches that really hurt, and he doesn't want her going through that kind of pain. So, he hugged her. "Ne parlons pas français devant Harry, je ne veux pas qu'il se sente exclu." ("Let's not speak French in front of Harry as I don't want him feeling left out.")

Harry looked up at Draco as he heard him say his name. He wanted to know what Draco was saying and why his name was included in the conversation. Were they talking about something important that involves him? Then he noticed he liked how Draco was speaking a different language because it was kind of hot.

Ivy wrapped her arms around Draco in the hug, thanking him by giving him a little squeeze. She adores hearing her cousin say how he doesn't want Harry feeling left out just by talking in French. "Très bien," she says with a little sigh. "Je sais combien tu tiens à lui, c'est gentil. N'oubliez pas la promesse! Je t'aiderai autant que possible, mais je ne te ferai pas te rencontrer en secret. Même si j'adorerais ça, vous devez le faire vous-même. C'est ta vie amoureuse." ("Alright, fine. I know how much you care for him, it's sweet. Remember the promise! I'll help you as much as I can, but I will not be making you meet in secret. As much as I'd love that though, you have to do it on your own. It's your love life.")

Draco nodded and ended the hug with her. He took a step back as he said, "Je connais. Merci d'avoir fait ça. Je ne pense pas que j'aurais même pu être assez proche d'Harry cette année si ce n'était pas pour toi." ("I know. Thank you for doing this. I don't think I'd be able to have even gotten close enough to Harry this year if it weren't for you.")

"Thank you for everything, Ivy," Draco repeated, but in English. He looked behind him at Harry and gave a smile. When Harry smiled back at him, he looked ahead at him back at his cousin. "And I mean it."

"It's no problem at all, Draco," Ivy said with a wave of her hand to dismiss the gratitude her cousin was giving her. She really didn't need it. Besides, she actually didn't do anything to help him. "Just helping you out as it seems that you definitely need it. But it wasn't me who helped you at all. It was you, Draco. You've made it this far. I only asked you to do what I told you to do, and eventually, you did it but in your own way. I'm so proud of you, Draco."

"What are they talking about?" Harry asked Ron beside him in a quiet voice, and he watched as Ron shrugged his shoulders. He sighed and wondered what Draco was thanking Ivy for, and why it seemed important.

"They're speaking in cousin," said Blaise and he walked forward to stand between Harry and Ron. He leaned back a bit to put snowballs on their heads just for fun and it seemed that the two Gryffindor's didn't notice or feel it. "I don't know what they're talking about either. Neither does Pansy at times so we just let them talk."

"Hey, no doing that!" Draco snapped at her, but he couldn't be angry at Ivy. He didn't want to get angry because that's how Ivy gets upsets and asks him what she had done. "Vous savez qui j'aurais préféré me tordre le nez." ("You know who I would rather have boop my nose.")

Ivy nodded with a little chuckle when she knew who exactly Draco would let boop his nose. She actually wanted to see the booping happen. "I know," she said and then leaned a little forward to whisper. "Now, go to him!"

Draco smiled and walked back over to Harry. He began to get a little nervous as those green eyes stared into his own eyes. "It was great spending time with you this Christmas, Harry," he said and thought about possibly seeing Harry later on today. "Ivy, Blaise, and I must take our leave back to the dungeons. Perhaps, we'll see you again today?"

Harry nodded slightly with a small fake smile, sad that Draco must leave but he hopes he'll be seeing him soon. "Thank you for this incredible morning and I hope we will see each other again sometime today."

Draco leaned forwards towards Harry and gave him a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone, and he heard Ivy's giggles, but he chose to block them out of his hearing. "We'll see you then," he said to Harry and then walked back to Ivy, feeling the blood rush down to his own cheeks from what he had done. "Désolé, je lui ai dit que nous reverrions bientôt," he whispered to her. "J'espère cependant que ce sera vrai." ("Sorry, I told him we'd see each other soon. I do hope that will be true though.")

Harry felt how warm his cheeks were and watched the two walking back into the castle. Then Blaise went after them right after he gave Ron a smile. Harry then looked over at Ron who was looking down at the ground, drawing something in the snow with his foot. "So...."

Ron looked up at Harry, not knowing what to say. He had witnessed a lot of things today and his best mate nearly kissing Malfoy was one of them. It surprised him; Harry surprised him.

"It's okay, Ron," Harry said with a gentle voice, hoping Ron will accept him. The thought of Ron thinking badly upon himself pushed him down into the darkness in his mind, but he tried bringing himself up into the light just in case Ron does accept his sexuality. "Just talk to me when you're ready."

Ron nodded hesitantly. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it as he had nothing to say. Not once in his life had he ever had to think about the fact that guys can like guys. He didn't think it existed until this year when he found out about Cedric having a boyfriend. Well, he has heard of men liking men for a while, but he has never thought of it ever.

Harry shook his head at his speechless friend, disappointed that Ron had nothing to say so then he headed back into the castle. He was about to head up to the Gryffindor Tower when he caught three familiar people walking down a corridor towards the Dungeons. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Ivy Black. He jogged up to them but made sure he wasn't seen, and he pretended to come from the Grand Hall. "Oh, Hello again."

"Hello, Harry," Draco said with a warm smile while remembering a minute or two ago that he kissed the boy's cheeks and about twenty minutes ago when he kissed those pink lips of his. He felt excited that Harry was here with him. This would be his actual first Christmas with Harry and he hopes it won't be his last.

"Harry, we were just heading down to the Slytherin common room," she said and wondered if she could get her cousin and Harry locked into a room together. She gave him a mischievous smile and wiped some snow off her black jumper which she missed before. "Did you want to come?"

"Sure, but aren't I not allowed in your common room?" Harry looked at the red-cheeked Draco and smiled sweetly, finding Draco looked absolutely attractive. But to think about the rules of each Hogwarts House he is sure students aren't allowed to bring other students from other houses into their own House common rooms.

Ivy shrugged, not too sure if houses are allowed in other house's common rooms. But she would break a few rules since it's Christmas. "I'm not too sure, but we're the only Slytherins here so nobody can tell."

"Where's your Wea- Ron?" Draco asked him and tried using the Weasel's first name for Harry. It still was odd saying Weasel's first name, but he will probably get used to it if Harry wants him to call the Weasel by his given name. He would do literally anything for Harry as long as it's not dangerous.

"Oh, he just..."Harry trailed off as he remembered Ron being silent and speechless. He wished Ron could have said whatever was on his mind even if it could have hurt. "He wasn't really talking to me; I don't think he could talk. Guess he was a little shocked."

"Typical," Draco said with a nod which earned him a nudge in the ribs by Ivy. He grunted and rubbed at his side where she nudged him. It kind of hurt but he knew why she was like this: her mother. Her darn mother who he hasn't seen in a year and doesn't plan on seeing ever again.

"Anyway," said Blaise just to change the mood. He knew what Draco was feeling as it is why he doesn't really spend time with Ivy much. She's a nice girl but can be a little... nudgy and elbowy at times. "Let's head down to the Dungeons." The two other Slytherin's and the one Gryffindor nodded and started making their way down to the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry remembered the second year, tricking Draco with the Poly Juice potion to think that he and Ron were Crabbe and Goyle to try and find out who the Heir of Slytherin was. He half-smiled at the memory, nearly tripping over a loose slab of stone. Ivy felt like something interesting was going to go down, so she got out her phone and started recording her friends in secret.

Draco smiled at Harry, liking the way he's so deep in thought. It was distracting though, and he nearly crashed into a few corners in the corridors when watching Harry "Stop thinking so deeply Harry," he just blurts out. "It's so distracting!"

Harry felt his cheeks start to warm up, knowing he was blushing, and the worst part was hearing Ivy getting the giggles and Blaise snorting at them. "Stop staring then!" he said in a loud but soft voice and rubbed the side of his neck.

Draco blushed and opened his mouth but all that came out were stutters, "I-, I wasn't s-staring!" He smiled at the ground, realizing he and Harry are kind of flirting. He likes it though. "I just notice things..."

"Yeah, right," Harry said with a roll of his eyes, and in a teasing tone of voice. He saw Draco looking at him which he really liked seeing. And then he winked at Draco when saying, "Like how you notice how pretty my smile is."

Draco's blush deepened in colour. He couldn't control his emotions or what his body was doing when Harry was talking to him. "I-..." And then he pointed to the wall in front of them, trying to stop this awkward conversation between him and Harry. "Oh, look we're here!"

Harry was about to say something to tease Draco more but realized that they were already in the dungeons at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He remembered the memory, following Draco into the common room as Crabbe and Goyle as Ron.

Blaise muttered the password under his breath and the secret passageway opened, revealing a green-lighted common room. As much as he likes hearing Draco and Harry flirting, he would rather get back up to the dorm and read the book about the latest fashion trends his mother got him. Ivy smiled at the recording as she will definitely show Pansy this and show Draco later with Pansy so they can tease him about it. She stops the recording but keeps her phone out in her hands.

Harry walked into the common room behind Draco and Ivy, memories still fresh in his mind from the second year. The common room was exactly how he remembered it. Long and Low, green lanterns hanging from the stone ceiling, black and green furniture, gigantic arched windows looking into the black lake, skull candles on every black architecture table and a fire burning in the ginormous fireplace. It was nothing like the Gryffindor Tower he was used to being in. He followed the two Slytherins to a familiar set of black lounge chairs while Blaise seemed to disappear behind them. Harry stared at the lounge chairs before him, Draco sat on the same one he did in the second year and Ivy sat on the other.

Draco gestured the Gryffindor to sit down with a pat of the lounge cushion beside him. He's thankful the weird flirting stopped, but he'd rather flirt with Harry for real when they're alone. He just doesn't know when the next time he'll be alone with Harry. "Harry, you can sit down if you want. The chairs are not going to eat you up."

Harry sat down next to Draco in a side-sit position and was a little closer to him. They were almost touching elbows. "I know that," he said, a little uneasy from the memories in the second year. "So, may I ask why you guys stayed back for Christmas instead of spending it with your family?"

Ivy shifted in her seat, finding it uncomfortable. She didn't like telling people why she'd rather be at Hogwarts, even if Harry and Draco know of her problems with her mother. She'd like to spend her Christmas at Malfoy Manor, but she doesn't want to cause any trouble to Mr and Mrs Malfoy by staying there and having one more mouth to feed.

Harry noticed Ivy's reaction and frowned, knowing the answer to his questions. He looked beside him at Draco, wondering why he's at Hogwarts instead of being with his family. "Draco, why aren't you spending Christmas with your family?"

Draco smiled and looked over at his cousin. Right now, at this instance, Ivy was his family since his parents were a little busy for their own reasons. "Ivy is my family, Harry," he said, and his smile widened as his cousin smiles back at him.

And then Harry smiled as he loves the way Draco thinks about his family like that. And then there's him who doesn't have a family that loves him. He's just an orphan. A sad, depressed, Orphan. "I meant why are you staying at your house with Ivy for Christmas?"

"I know what you mean, Harry," Draco said and rubbed at his arm a little sadly. "Ivy and I aren't at Malfoy Manor because my father is always busy with work and my mother is in France probably visiting some popular witch. It's just always been like that; I don't mind it though because I get to spend the rest of the week with my favourite cousin."

"Oh, I'm sure you get bored of having me around," Ivy said and flicked her hand at them. But she also gave them a sad nod as she knows she's not very liked in her classes by the other students her age. "I know I'm a little boring to others."

Draco shook his head, not believing anything she says. "No, not at all," he says with an assuring tone. "You're lovely to have around. You're my one and only cousin except for my other cousin who I've never met before and is a few years older than you. I believe her name is Nymphadora Tonks."

Harry nodded, agreeing with Draco about Ivy being a wonderful friend and about Nymphadora. He learnt about her from Sirius last year. "He's right, you know. You're a lovely girl, and lovely to have around."

Ivy flushed at the compliments. Compliments she knows she doesn't deserve but must believe for her cousin and Harry. "Thanks, guys," she said as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ears. "You're both amazing to be around. Now, Harry? What did you get for Christmas?"

Harry thought back to this morning, waking up and discovering presents on his bed again for the fourth time in his life. "I got socks, a book, some fudge and dung bombs," he told them and smiled at the presents he got that he knows will impact his life positively. "Oh, and I also got the items which I know are from you, Ivy. Thank you for the gifts as I'm sure they will benefit me a lot. And I got brand new clothes who I guess is from you, Draco. Thank you ever so much."

"Don't mention it, Harry," Draco says sweetly, slightly flushing and reaches a hand over to place over Harry's warm and soft one. "I just don't know why you wear the same clothes every weekend and I hope you'll tell me someday. Just not today. Someday when you're ready."

Harry smiled sadly at the thought of actually telling Draco what he goes through, which he won't ever. He doesn't want people finding out. Then he began wondering if they like the presents he gave them. "What did you two get?"

Ivy bit her lip, thinking back to the early morning as she woke up. Ignoring the memory of crying herself to sleep. "I got... Some new clothes, a dress to the Yule Ball which I ordered online myself, new shoes, books, incense burners and the last two I know are from you, Harry. I love the tarot cards and the wall décor of the imprinted deer skull. It's very pretty, even for a dead animal."

Harry nodded and smiled at knowing his Christmas shopping spree was okay, and that Ivy liked the presents he gave her. Now it was Draco's turn. He hoped the presents were okay. "What about you, Draco?"

"Books and sweets from my parents, and incense candles and body oils from Ivy," said Draco, though he ran a hand through his hair a little slowly. "But I believe the best gifts I got were that moon globe as it's quite beautiful and a glass ball with the solar system in it. They are both thoughtful gifts which I adore and whoever gave them to me I'd kiss them in front of the whole school if I found out who they're from. Unless they're a girl then no, I will not be kissing them." He made a face and grimaced at the thought and it made Ivy and Harry chuckle.

Harry hesitates and felt his face go warm, and a blush forming on his cheeks at what Draco said. It was him who brought Draco the moon globe and the glass ball with the solar system in it. So, if he told Draco what he brought him, Draco would most likely kiss him in front of the whole school. The thought was both enthralling and anxious. He stared at Draco's smile, it always made him look much more attractive.

Ivy smiled at the two boys, liking having to watch them talk even if it's just small talk. It was amusing but what she wanted to see was kissing. "We should play a game," she then said and thought of the perfect game to play.

"What kind of game?" Harry asked curiously while he was looking down at the skull on the table in front of him and Draco. It was an odd decoration to have, but then he notices the candle inside it. Skull candles he hasn't seen in a while.

"I'm not sure," Ivy said and shrugged though she had a game in mind. A game which she'll see what she wants to see with one simple word. "Truth or dare? Never have I ever or Exploding Snap?"

"Truth or Dare," Harry said and wonders just how daring these Slytherin's can be. He's heard of the Dares Fred and George do with the other sixth and Seventh years and they can get pretty weird. He's heard George ask someone to lick someone's shoe, to chew on someone else's chewed gum, and to get someone to take off one piece of clothing from someone else.

"I'll start," said Ivy and she immediately looked at Harry, smirking. She wondered how far the Gryffindor will let her go with this game. "Truth or Dare, Harry Potter."

Harry sighed. Decisions, decisions. Either risk doing something bad or stupid or admitting something personal. He's going to go with Truth because he knows Ivy won't go too far into asking him a very personal question like what his home life is like. "Truth."

Ivy smiled at him. She'll start with something easy, of course. Then after a while, she'll get to the hard and fun stuff. "Ever been in a relationship before?" she asked him, though she didn't want to find this out just by herself. The question was for Draco to hear.

Harry shook his head and said, "Nope." Not once has he considered going out with someone in the past beside Draco. But he just doesn't think he's attractive or fit enough for people to like him that way. He looked at the blonde Slytherin next to him. "Draco, truth or dare."

"Um..." Draco said and looked up at Harry, deep in thought on which to choose. Should he risk it or not? Since Harry chose Truth, he decided to play Truth as well. "Truth."

Ivy rolled her eyes. Her cousin was so boring at these games. Some would consider saying "Truth" as smart but in reality, it doesn't work that way. Who knows what hard truth could be said that Draco wouldn't want to say and admit. Like his not-so-obvious crush on Harry of course!

"Have you ever been in a relationship before?" Harry asked him. He just had to know. It was curious, finding out if your friend has liked and been with someone when they didn't know. He felt like he was holding his breath when waiting for Draco to answer the question

"No," said Draco, who looked directly at Harry, and Harry smiled and let out a breath of relief. Draco knows that thirteen is still a little too young for him to go out with anybody. Fourteen, however, is when he would start dating and he wants to be with Harry like he has always wanted. Even if he and Harry ended the rivalry last year, he would have waited until he was fourteen and come out to Harry then.

Ivy groaned. Could this game get any more boring? "Okay, no..." she says seriously. "You have to ask the person a different question. Not the same one!" She then hesitated and sighed at the two boys. "Anyway, Draco. It's your turn."

Draco nodded. He enjoys annoying his cousin at times. He admits it is fun. But right now, he has a game to play. "Ivy, Truth or Dare?"

Ivy wanted to spice the game up a little. But by a little, she actually means a lot. So, she said, "Dare."

Draco sighed and tried to think of a dare for her. What could he make his cousin do that's appropriate of course? There were so many options to choose from. "I dare you to..." He noticed Ivy's phone in her chest pocket of her sweater and smirked. "I dare you to stay off your phone for the rest of the month."

Ivy laughed as this was going to be so easy. She never really uses her phone unless she plays games offline like crossword or Colour-in puzzles. "Alright, it sounds simple enough." She looked at the Gryffindor who was staring at her cousin and she smiled, "Harry, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Harry responded just as she finished asking him. He wants to at least play fair. Not just saying Truth. He knows Truths can get boring unless Draco's the one saying the Truth then it does get interesting and he gets to learn more about his favourite Slytherin.

"I Dare you to..." Ivy trailed off and hesitated, then she grinned at her cousin, knowing a perfect dare. "To compliment your best friend." She watched as Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled. "I meant Draco, Harry. Compliment him."

"Oh," said Harry who now gazed at the handsome blonde Slytherin beside him. He looked Draco up and down, noticing the rosiness of the blonde's cheeks as he did so. Cute. Undeniably cute. He couldn't decide what to compliment as there's so much to compliment.

Draco blushed when noticing Harry was looking him up and down like the Gryffindor was checking him out. He really likes getting attention from Harry. And he knows he will soon be complimented from the most beautiful bloke in the entire universe.

Harry swallowed. His stomach was overwhelmed with the nerving butterflies fluttering around everywhere. There was just so much to compliment about Draco. His hair, lips, eyes, face, body... Okay, maybe that's a little too far. "You have really pretty eyes... very silver like stars shining in the night sky."

Ivy snorted and fell backwards into a fit of laughter. This was hilarious! Harry had just complimented her cousin's eyes by saying they're very silver and that they're pretty. Not that she doesn't think silver is a nice colour as it is a Christmas colour.

Draco's face reddened even more from the compliments. His pupils dilated and he licked his lips as he looked down at Harry's lips that he wanted to moisten by kissing him. He swallowed and said, "You have really pretty emerald green eyes too."

Now it was Harry's turn to blush. Draco wasn't meant to compliment him. He then smiled when realizing there was still a game to play. "Ivy, Truth or Dare."

"Truth," Ivy said immediately and smiled sweetly at the two blushing boys.

"Ever had your first kiss?" Harry asked though he knew it was a lame question. But it was also a really popular muggle question, as he remembers. He just wants to keep the game going. Plus, he is learning more about Ivy too.

Ivy nodded at the question, and that it is true. "The first kiss was with a muggle girl," she admitted with a smile. "I met her out in a café one day. When my mom was out doing business things, I had the day to myself, so I decided to head out into the world and do some exploring. She was my first girlfriend, actually."

"What happened?" Draco had to ask. He has never heard of this story before. It seems he still doesn't know his cousin much. He swore if this muggle girl did something to his cousin like breaking her heart...

"She was curious as to why I had a wand with me all the time," Ivy said and began frowning from the distant memory. "Of course, she didn't know it was a wand. That was until she caught me levitating a piece of toast in the air while a butter knife spread honey jam on it. Let's just say... I had a lot of explaining to do but then I had to Obliviate her."

Harry and Draco both nodded. They wouldn't know what it would be like in that kind of situation. Yes, Harry's accidentally used magic in front of his relatives, but that was because he was angry. Really angry, as he remembers it all.

"Anyway," Ivy said with a sigh, wanting to forget that right now. She glanced at her cousin with a smirk on her lips. "Draco, Truth or Dare."

Draco puffed out his cheeks, earning a little chuckle from Harry which he smiled at him for. "Dare," he said easily and now wondered what she had in mind. Would it be simple or hard for him? Would she have him do or say something?

Ivy began to love this current situation and game now. She could get him to do and say anything. She opened her phone to press the record button again and she placed it down on the skull candle, so it was leaning on it and the camera was facing Harry and Draco. She walked around the table and leaned towards her cousin to whisper in his ear," I dare you to kiss Harry. A real genuine kiss." She smiles and goes back to the other couch, grabs her phone, and zooms in on her cousin and Harry.

Draco smiled at the dare. He really wants to do it in front of her since he and Harry have kissed multiple times. He stared down at Harry's lips that looked so soft, warm, and so... kissable. Such a beautiful person.

"Harry, close your eyes," Ivy demanded, but in a soft tone. She grinned at him and thought that her cousin was actually going to do this. It was making her excited, and the excitement pulsed through her veins.

Harry stared at them both curiously with furrowed eyebrows. But he did as he was told and closed his eyes, not knowing what's going to happen. He suddenly sat up straight and his body was telling him to face Draco so that's exactly what he did.

Draco swallowed. This was it. He crawled closer to Harry and leaned closer, heart beating wildly in his chest and those butterflies came back to his stomach and fluttered around. But when his face was only inches from Harry's, he whispered, "Open your eyes and kiss me, Potter."

Harry's eyes shot open, and he stared into silver orbs which he saw galaxies of stars, and shining crystals, and silver tinsel which goes on a Christmas tree through those eyes. The last one was a strange thought, but he really does see shiny tinsel in some beautiful way in Draco's eyes.

Draco smiles slightly as he put his forehead to Harry's, and that's when his heartbeat decides to quicken its pace as Harry's emerald green eyes brighten at the thought of kissing again. Instead of them just kissing alone, they had company but chose to ignore her. His lips were so close that Harry could have easily leaned in the rest of the way and kissed them, and the thought filled his belly with butterflies.

Draco's hand comes up to Harry's cheek, and his other moved up his arm. He trailed his fingertips on Harry's forearm, barely even touching Harry's skin and Harry's just lucky that he performed the Vulnus Expleret spell last night. The touch made Harry shiver. He felt Draco's breath on his lips and Harry closed his eyes, cherishing the moment and then Draco leaned in closer and parted Harry's lips.

The kiss was gentle at first, as Draco didn't know if Harry wanted to be kissed in front of anyone yet but then it got firmer as Harry didn't pull back. They couldn't even hear the soft sobbing coming from the other couch where Ivy was. Draco's hand went behind Harry's neck and pulled him closer to his face, the other hand laying on the couch.

Harry's hands wrapped around Draco's neck before he could even think about anything. This is what he wanted. Harry wanted nothing else beside Draco Malfoy. It was the kind of kiss that was so intoxicating your brain couldn't handle thinking about anything else. They only broke out of the kiss when they needed to breathe, and Draco briefly basked in the image of Harry's heavy-lidded eyes and black messy hair before their lips met again. Harry deepened the kiss, pulling Draco on top of him so that his legs were straddling Harry's. It was so much and not enough all at once. Louder sobbing only broke them out of the kiss, and they turned their heads to look at Ivy who was sobbing happily and fanning her face with a hand while the other hand still held her phone and it was recording.

"I guess we should tell her that this isn't actually our first kiss together," Draco says as he leans back so that Harry could sit up. And then he hears and sees Ivy sobbing harder but still with happiness. He smiled at her, glad he and Harry could make her happy just with kissing.

"I can't believe you never told me this," Ivy sobbed, and she wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her black jumper. But that didn't matter right now. She sniffed and looked at them with a smile. "I can't wait until I tell Pansy this. And this has actually made my day. This is the best Christmas present ever, guys. Thank you."

"I guess you're welcome, Ivy," Harry says and as he sits up, his hand finds its way to Draco's, but he quickly brings his hand back to his lap. Like Draco could sense his need, he reaches for Harry's hand and he intertwines them together with a smile. Harry's a little surprised at the meeting of hands, and he smiles. But then he sighs as he really shouldn't leave Ron alone on Christmas day. It's nothing Ron should have to go through. "I think I should... erm... head back. I don't want to leave Ron alone on Christmas Day."

"Oh, we understand, and you better go find him," said Ivy softly but also a little seriously as she knows what it is like being alone on Christmas. She stops the recording and placed her phone on the table. "That's actually an order. Nobody should be alone on Christmas. And I hope we see you again today."

"I hope so too, and I'll see what I can do," said Harry and he rubs his forearm and looks at Draco. He decides to stand up so he's ready to leave them to find Ron. "Um... perhaps ask Blaise if he would like to hang with Ron for a while too. Those two actually get along quite fine, and if I do hang with one of you today again, he would have someone else to be with besides me."

"That's sweet of you, Harry," Draco says, and he stands up too. Would it be weird to walk Harry to the entrance of the Slytherin common room? Yeah, to him it sounds weird since it's only a few meters away. "Let's go..." He placed a hand on Harry's back and leads him to the exit of the common room and when they were out of Ivy's hearing zone, he sighed and started telling him what is on his mind. "I hope to see you at lunch, Harry. And perhaps after lunch..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Why don't we meet each other at the Library's Secret Room after lunch and ditch everyone for a little while. I just want to spend some quality time with you today." He wasn't going to say why he wanted to be alone with Harry. He'll leave that for when they're both in the room.

"I would like that very much," said Harry with a nod. The thought of being in that room alone with Draco while the fireplace heats up the room and kissing Draco again send warmth all through him, and he felt excited for the future hours of today. "I'll see you then."

Draco smiled at Harry and steps forward, his arms finding their way around Harry's sides and he leans forward. "Merry Christmas, Harry Potter," he whispers before pressing his lips to Harry's and giving him a quick surprise kiss.

Harry blushes in the kiss, and it wasn't until Draco leaned away that he wanted those lips back on his own to kiss them and keep them warm with saliva. "Merry Christmas, Draco Malfoy."

Draco presses his lips together to remember the kiss and how Harry's lips feel on his own. He then winked at Harry and brushed a few strands of Harry's black hair out of his eyes. "You really do have a beautiful smile, Harry and should really keep that smile on your face. Your smile could probably light up London after dark."

Harry blushed a darker shade of red, wondering how Draco can just easily compliment him like that. It must be a Malfoy thing. "Thanks, Draco," he says a little shyly and looks down to the floor. "You do too." He bit his lip and looks back up at him, "I need to go."

Draco nodded. He wished Harry didn't have to go. Couldn't he stay? It would be extraordinary having another person to spend Christmas with. "Alright, I'll see you at lunch then."

"Yeah, see you then," Harry said and decided he should walk away now, and so he turned around and did just that. He did glance back at Draco for a second and then headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.

As soon as Harry left, Draco turned around with a smile and went back to his cousin who had been watching him and Harry for he bets the whole time. And she was recording them again, but he didn't notice. He sighs happily and collapses on the couch he and Harry were on together. "This has been the best Christmas ever, and it hasn't even finished yet!"

"I know!" Ivy says and beams at how happy her cousin looks. It's a real treasure to see her cousin in love. "So, how long have you two been secretly snogging? And where do you kiss each other if not in the corridors of Hogwarts."

"We've been kissing since the second time he and I went flying," Draco told her and smiled at nothing while his cheeks glowed. "It actually was the next morning I... I got up early and waited for Harry by a tapestry." He hated lying to Ivy, but he couldn't exactly tell her about the secret spots, now could he? No. "And I noticed how the sun shone in his eyes, making his eyes shimmer and I couldn't take it. So, I kissed him then."

Ivy got the giggles when listening to the story. She could actually see the scene in her head, and it excited him. "Now let's talk about you asking him out. We both know it must happen... unless you're already secretly dating, and you just haven't told me yet." Draco shakes his head, and she sighs, a little disappointed. "Right. You should do it sooner than later. You don't want someone trying to steal him from you, don't you?"

Draco sighed. He knows it will be harder in the future. What if Harry finds someone he really likes? What if he becomes the third wheel? He couldn't think about the future right now. All he cared for is the present, not the future. "I'll promise to do it sometime this week or when classes start back up."

"Or you could ask him out at the Yule Ball," Ivy added to his list with a grin. She doesn't mind when he asks out Harry, as long as he does. And she'll be there to make sure it happens.

"I will try," said Draco and gazed off at a skull candle that lay on one of the tables. Some of the items in the common room, he admits, are entirely creepy. "But if I get too distracted by him it'll definitely be harder on me. He's bloody gorgeous!"

"Good!" said Ivy, and she let out a giggle form the compliment her cousin gave Harry. She wished Harry could have heard him and she couldn't help smiling at her cousin. "How about a round of exploding snap?"

"Sure," Draco says and agrees on the game to play to pass the time.

*****

Harry strolled through the castle, trying to find Ron but he just wasn't anywhere to be found. So, he decided to just head back up to the dorm room. He collapsed on his bed with a smile, wondering how he could actually do that. How could he smile? He doesn't know and doesn't care at the moment.

He cupped his hand over his mouth and sighed, remembering how soft Draco's lips were on his own when kissing him. Harry had to admit that this was the best Christmas he's ever had. Even if it's only been a couple of hours spent with Draco and Ivy.

He heard footsteps; they were entering the dorm room. He sat up and stared at Ron Weasley who walked in and looked to be deep in thought. "Ron," he said, still wondering if he's getting the silent treatment "Um... about what you saw earlier..." Harry felt quite awkward right now. If this was going to be how he'd come out to Ron, then so be it.

Ron looked at him for a moment, really wondering if Malfoy had put a spell on his best mate. "Forget about it, Harry," he said, gesturing Harry to stop with the conversation with a wave of his hand. "I think I may have been seeing things..."

Harry frowned. What did he mean he was seeing things? He knew very well that Ron was there when he and Draco were inches away from kissing. Just the thought of kissing Draco again sent pleasurable shivers down his spine and it spread some sort of light through his body that he felt as if could chase away his depression. "Ron... Do you accept-" But it was too late for Harry to finish the sentence as Ron had already walked out of the room.

Ron was confused. Very confused. What was happening to his best mate? Or, in fact, what was happening to himself? He has grown up thinking that liking the same gender was bad. That it was unnatural. But now, that he's seen his best mate nearly kiss his rival? That was something new to see. He didn't know what to think or feel as he sat down in one of the armchairs in the common room and stared at the roaring fireplace that heated up the room. He even admits, there are a couple of blokes he knows who is... handsome. But wasn't that normal to think another bloke was handsome?

What is it like with girls? He's heard Ginny call a few girls 'Pretty' and 'Beautiful.' So, it is normal, right? It's just a word, isn't it? Just a word? Then the thought of Blaise Zabini popped into his head. He groaned. He was never able to get the Slytherin out of his head at times. It was bloody annoying. It was like the Slytherin was trying to take over his own mind. It got to the point where he just wanted to shout at the Slytherin and tell him not to try and Imperio him.

He does admit, Blaise is incredibly...handsome. He has had a few dreams where he's kissed the bloke but thought that he was just confused and needed to have a drink of water. But even after having a glass of water, the bloke fought his way back into Ron's head. Ron was even thinking of having a chat with Fred and George about this since they are older and possibly know a lot more about adolescence and growing up.

But he doesn't want to in case his older brothers think he's some kind of... what's that word? Lesbian? No, Prick? No... What was it? Poof? Ah, yes, a poof. He didn't want to have to be called that by his brothers. It's just... He doesn't know but it would hurt him. Bloody Hell! What would Ginny even say about it? What about Mom and Dad? What about Percy, Bill, and Charlie? Well, Percy was the one who put the thought in his head that being ... What was it? Gay? Yes! Percy was the one that told him that being gay was wrong. But was it wrong? Was it wrong to like the same gender? This was a tough thought for Ron as he remembered exactly what Percy told him.

Ron was ten years old at the time when he and Percy were up in his bedroom one cold Sunday morning in January, and Percy had just been reading him a fairytale book about a prince and his secret friend who's a slave. But when the mention of two boys staring at each other for what seemed like a long time, Ron had become intrigued in the book even more. "Percy, is it alright to like the same gender?"

Percy looked down at his younger sibling and sighed. Even he was confused at times. Oliver kept popping up into his head at random times in the day when it should be Penelope. He eventually shook his head and gave Ron a solemn look. "No, even the muggles say it's bad."

"Really?" Ron asked, frowning at his older brother. He didn't want to believe this. Can't a male and another male be happy? If a male and female can be happy, then what about a male who's in love with another male? Or a female being in love with a female. "But what if they are happy with the same gender?"

Percy shrugged and really thought of how it would be if he were to like a guy. His best friend Oliver Wood then popped in his mind and as always, he can't get him out of his head. "Well, then, I guess it is their choice if they want to be judged by other people."

"Judged?" Ron asked and his voice raised a little. He sounded scared and thought about how people were to react if he were to hold hands with a boy and kiss him continuously. Well, when he's older. "Are you sure all the muggles say it is bad? What do they believe?"

Percy shrugged again, not knowing how muggles think of it as he's never interacted with one before. "The muggles believe in these two people called Adam and Eve. They say, 'God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.'"

"What if Adam and Steve really liked each other?" Ron asked him sadly, and his brows gathered in. What if they fell in love with each other? "This feels like one of those stories mom reads to Ginny. About those weird lovey-dovey stories with a prince and a princess."

"It's because princes are supposed to have their princesses, and princesses are supposed to have their princes," Percy explained to him while adjusting the glasses on his nose. "There are no princesses living happily ever after with another princess. It's only man and woman."

"What if I end up with a guy, Perce?" asked a scared Ron. What if he falls in love with a guy? What would that be like though? "What will mom and dad say?"

Percy only shrugged and thought about how mom and dad would say about this. He doesn't know and probably doesn't want to find out. "It's better if you don't find out, Ron," He said and ruffled his younger sibling's hair. He doesn't know why but in books like these he pictures himself and Oliver being together, and the thought sounded quite nice. But whatever.

And that was when the memory ended. Ron continued to stare at the fireplace, wondering if Percy was right about it all. The only people he's seen together are boys and girls, not girls and girls or boys and boys. He's never actually seen any guys kiss guys or girls kiss girls. But bloody hell! He's come close to it with Harry and Malfoy. What would happen if Harry and Malfoy start dating? Would their friendship change or would it be the same? Just the thought of losing Harry to Malfoy was horrifying.

Well, he wouldn't know how to react to that. Angry? Oh, yeah, for sure! He would not let Malfoy ruin their friendship if that is what Malfoy was going to try to do. He made an oath to watch the Slytherins carefully to make sure they are not up to anything off like love potions that would make everyone delusional so they can take over the school. Whoa! Okay, he knew he was going a bit far, but you got to keep your eyes on your surroundings, right? What was that word that creep of a professor used? Continuous vengeance? No... Constant vengeance? Yeah, that sounds about right... But the last word wasn't right. He knew that... Constant... Constant... Constant vigilance! Yes! Constant Vigilance!

Ron sighed and laid his head back on the chair. The sounds of the crackling fireplace, the smell of the fire and watching the snow falling down from the sky was so relaxing. Before he knew it, the relaxing sounds were making him give away to sleep.

And while Ron fell asleep on the couch, Harry was still up in the dormitory laying on his back on his bed while looking up at the canopy above him. He was wondering what Draco was up to, and where he could be. Possibly the Slytherin common room or dormitory, obviously! He sighed and rolled onto his side, staring out the window closest to Neville's bed. The snow was falling lightly across the grounds, and there were only a few birds flapping around happily in the sky.

He checked the time with a "Tempus!". He could not believe his eyes. It was 10:00 already? Unless he and Ron went down for an early breakfast... Yeah, that must be it! Time flies fast when you are having fun. No wonder the time was so slow at the Dursleys. The only things that made the time fly by were the chores he was instructed to do. But it did not matter, as long as he was working hard on something as it always took his mind off his depression and everything else.

*****

Ron woke up to the sound of a loud bang coming from upstairs and when he opened his eyes, he saw Harry come down the stairs. What was the time anyway? His stomach was rumbling so that gave him a time. It must be lunchtime then.

Yawning a little, he decides to head out of the common room and head down to the Great Hall. But he actually stars dawdling while thinking deeply about today and what he's seen. And when he's a corridor away from the Great Hall he spots Blaise Zabini casually walking towards the Great Hall with a book in his hands. He had to admit that Blaise had style when walking, which he hoped wasn't strange to think about.

Ron then looked the bloke coming towards him up and down. He doesn't understand what he's feeling at all. It's like there are butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. What he doesn't understand is why he gets this feeling every time the Italian Slytherin enters a room he's in or when he just sees him in the corridors.

Blaise stops walking when he sees Ron looking at him, and he could easily tell he's being checked out. He smirked and took the last few steps up to the other male and leaned on the wall with his arms crossed. "Well, hello there Ron."

"H-Hi," Ron says a little shyly and stutters as he talks. He didn't know what to say as he believes he was caught in the act of staring. He wondered if Blaise thinks badly of people being gay.

Blaise smiles at the stuttering Gryffindor, finding it cute. He then thought of today's events and who he caught kissing who behind a tree in the snow. "Did you see Draco and Harry kiss today?" he asked the Gryffindor who then looked a little confused. "I actually caught them kissing while Ivy was making snow angels and you were off collecting snowballs. It was a beautiful sight to see, seeing our best friends deep in love with each other."

Ron just didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe his best mate way gay. But would he actually mind if Harry were gay? It's a little strange, especially if it's Malfoy Harry's into. It's himself that minds if he were gay though. What would his mom and dad think about that? "Um... that's cool." The thought of kissing Blaise popped into his head and he believes he's going crazy. He looks up above them and freezes. The darn Poltergeist and his idiocy. "Bloody Hell!"

"I know!" Blaise said and he beamed at the thought of kissing the guy he likes in a similar way to when he saw Harry and Draco kiss. "It just... seems like a dream come true to Draco. He's liked Harry for a year or two. What about Harry? I don't know him as well as you do."

Ron just shakes his head, and he looks Blaise in those chestnut brown eyes instead of staring at his lips. Why he was looking at the Italian Slytherin's lips, he had no idea. What was happening to him? Then he thought about how Harry would feel kissing Malfoy. What was his best mate feeling? He doesn't know as Harry's never told him. But he would like to know... "Um... can you close your eyes for a minute?" He wants this to be quick, so he's not trapped in a darn invisible forcefield by a weed.

Blaise blinked at him and tilted his head to the side a little, confused about why Ron wants him to close his eyes. "Um... why do you want-" But he was cut off as Ron leaned in fairly quickly and their lips met. Blaise's eyes widened in surprise but then he let his hands move to the small of Ron's back but above his Weasley sweater and he closed his eyes.

Ron was even more confused. How can a male make him feel this way? It was just so confusing. He felt as if his brain had switched off and nothing around them mattered. It was just him and Blaise snogging in a corridor of Hogwarts near the Great Hall. Bloody Hell! He subconsciously moved his hand up to Blaise's face which then his hand moved down his face, resting it on the back of Blaise's neck. Blaise wrapped his arms around the other male's waist as he moved his mouth against Ron's, anxiety and worries making way to numbness.

They only broke away as they needed air, blushes clear on their faces, and they just stared into each other's eyes. Blaise smiles and rubs the back of his neck, still very surprised about what Ron did. "Ron... I didn't know you-" Yet again, he was cut off but now in the way he wanted.

"Mistletoe," Ron then says and points above them at the floating weed which is slowly disappearing. He also smells a strong scent of Holy and the feeling of magic surrounding them. He takes a few steps back, thinking about what he had just done. He's still confused though he really enjoyed the kiss with Blaise. "I- Can we not discuss this with anyone, Please? I'm just very... confused."

Blaise then understood what Ron meant. He was confused about his sexuality. A lot of people are nowadays until they get kissed by the same gender then it sparks an interest in them. "Yes, we can keep that undiscussed," he told him with a smile. "And it's okay to be confused about your sexuality. It's not just you. Oh, and I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the kiss a lot." He then bit his lip, his smile not going away. "Let's just head down to lunch, hm?"

Ron nods at him and immediately heads off to the Great Hall with a little smile on his face, making Blaise have to jog to catch up to him. He can't believe he kissed Blaise on Christmas Day which he believes is a little romantic.

*****

Harry spots Draco immediately and joins him and Ivy at the Slytherin table. "Hey guys," he says merrily and slides onto the table seat next to Draco. "How are you since our last meet up in the Slytherin common room?"

"Ivy can't stop smiling at all, that's something," said Draco and he purposefully touched Harry's hand a little. He smiled at his smiling cousin, knowing that's the happiest he's seen her. Besides the day when she found out he was her cousin.

"Oh," Harry says, and he smiles at Ivy who's on the other side of the table. "Is it because of the thing that happened during the Truth or Dare game and telling you how long Draco and I have been...err...kissing for?"

Ivy nods and she dishes up her plate with Seafood Salad and some Turkey with Cranberry sauce. She licked her lips at the smell and digs into her meal. "Yes, it was beautiful to see," she admits as she blows on the hot turkey piece on her fork. "I've already Owled Pansy about it, just so you know. There's no escaping her excitement when she gets here."

Draco sighs at that realization and knows he won't be able to escape Pansy's ranting about how the kisses were and how long he and Harry have been kissing for. Even the thought of kissing Harry again excites him. "I'll just have to hide away somewhere so she can't find me," he says and starts dishing up his plate with food, and Harry's plate too.

Harry thanks him quietly with a kiss on the cheek which he actually didn't plan to give but gave it anyway. He noticed the rosiness in the blonde Slytherin's cheeks and smiled. Feeling like someone's watching him, he looked around the Great Hall at the other students but none of them is looking over at him. So, then he looks up at the Professor's table and freezes. Professor Snape was looking down at him, unimpressed with an eyebrow raised.

Harry swallows and looks to the middle of the table in front of him, wondering if Snape saw the kiss, he gave Draco. But he thought nothing of it and decided to start eating his lunch. If the kiss angered his Professor, then so be it. It wasn't Snape's problem and there was nothing the man could do about it.

"Say, Harry, what was it that you gave Draco for Christmas?" Ivy then asked and flung a green pea at him, hitting Harry on the nose and she smirked as Harry wiped the spot on his nose where the pea hit.

"I um..." Harry tries to say something, but he remembers what Draco said about if he finds out who gave him the crystal ball with the 3D Solar System and the Moon Globe light. Draco would literally kiss him in the middle of the Great Hall when all the students get back. "I gave you the moon globe, Draco. And the 3D Solar System in the Crystal Ball."

Draco's mouth parted a little, and then he smiles at Harry. He really likes the presents Harry gave him. They're nothing like the presents he has gotten before. "I knew it was you, Harry," He says and openly stares at him. He wants to weave their fingers together so Harry's hands surround his own with warmth and also so they can hold hands but fought back the urge. "I had a feeling... Nobody could have given me a more thoughtful gift than what you gave me."

"What about that kiss you would give Harry since you did say you would kiss whoever gave those presents to you back in the common room," Ivy reminded them, smirking. "Oh, and did I also forget to say that you would kiss him in front of the whole school when the students come back?"

Draco's eyes widen a little at the memory, and he looks to his side at Harry. "I did say that, yes," he said with a nod and licked his lips when staring down at Harry's lips. "You decide Harry. Want to be kissed now or when everyone gets back to Hogwarts which is in three days?"

Harry smiled and scratched his hair at the offer. One thing for sure is he doesn't want to be kissing Draco in front of everyone in the school because that would just be too much for him. Unless he gets used to it. So, he decided on the first option. "I'd rather you kiss me now than in front of every other student that arrives back here in those three days."

"Then let's do it," Draco says, and his voice becomes quieter. He watches as Harry's leaning a little closer, and he looks at his cousin with a little smile. "I did say I would kiss him in the middle of the Great Hall too, didn't I?"

Ivy looks to her side and considers this for a moment, then she looks back at him and nods her head with a hint of excitement. "Yes, Draco," she says, and her excitement grows as she's going to see the two boys kiss again. "Yes, you did."

Draco looks beside him at Harry and stands up, giving Harry his hand to take. He didn't need to say anything as Harry places his hand over Draco's and he waits for Harry to move off the chair. When he does, Draco leads him to the middle of the Great Hall, and they face each other. For a brief moment, they just stare fondly into each other's eyes. Then Draco reached his hands up and holds Harry's face in his hands, tilts his head and slowly started leaning towards him.

Harry felt his heartbeat accelerate and when Draco's face was just an inch away from his face, he abruptly closes his eyes. Draco felt the same, although his heart has been beating rapidly ever since his and Harry's first kiss. And when he saw Harry close his eyes, he smiled. And finally, the feelings they had for each other was sealed as their lips meet. They both felt happy and complete.

Harry feels Draco put his hand that was on his face behind his neck, then Draco's hand was on Harry's waist and pulled him a bit closer. The kiss is sweet and is full of affection, and it made them feel like time had stopped just for them and that this moment was already predestined to happen.

But all the innocence is stripped away as Draco parts Harry's lips with his. Draco slides his tongue along Harry's bottom lip, and the Gryffindor moans softly and simply he slips his tongue inside Harry's mouth easily. They moved in sync, passionately kissing each other. Harry felt connected to Draco at that moment, more than he ever had before. Harry could feel Draco's saliva as it rolled off his tongue and seeped down his throat with every push of his tongue against his. It was purely magical.

Single clapping erupts, and neither Harry nor Draco realized where they were at first until more claps were heard around the Great Hall. And as they both parted for a breather, they look at each other's eyes and smiled. "That was-" they both said together in symphony.

Draco looked to the ground, blushing, and Harry looked up at the Professor's table, seeing all the Professor's staring at them. He smiled at them all, and then he turns his head and looks at the entrance to the Great Hall, seeing Ron just standing there and staring at him. Did Ron see everything in these past minutes? He didn't mind if Ron did see the kiss though.

Ron blinked at his best mate and then headed over to the Slytherin table with Blaise to sit together. What he just saw... He actually saw his best mate snogging Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall. When sitting next to Blaise on the other side of Ivy who was holding some odd rectangle box thing in her hands and aiming it at Harry and Draco, he began eating from a plate that's already been dished up.

"You wanted to go to the secret room after lunch?" Harry then whispered to a blushing Draco Malfoy. He believes it's a place that he and Draco should be at right now. "I believe now would be the best time."

Draco looked up from the floor at Harry and nodded. He has a few things to say to Harry alone. "Yes, let's go now," he said but what he did first confused Harry a little. He went over to the Slytherin table and grabbed the saltshaker, and then he came back over, placing it in the pocket of his jeans and reached down to link their hands together. "I don't want this day to end just reading books. I'd rather spend it with you, Ivy, and my friends. But right now, I want to spend my time with you."

Harry smiled at him and together, they walk out of the Great Hall to the sound of Dumbledore's voice speaking to the other students of not telling anybody of what they just saw. To Harry and Draco, they never actually mentioned not wanting anybody else to hear about their kissing scene, but they would have thanked Dumbledore for telling everyone so.

He felt so good when holding hands with Draco, and when kissing him, of course. It felt like home, a home which he doesn't have but one that Draco gives him by being with him and it spreads this warming sensation through him.

They walk down the Christmas decorated corridors together, admiring how well the professors and prefects had done when decorating. And then they walked into something which they couldn't get out of. They tried walking forwards, backwards, and to the side but they just couldn't get anywhere. It seemed that they were stuck in a sphere. They actually didn't mind it though as they were stuck together.

Then Draco looks up, and he smiles at the magically enchanted mistletoe that's vining down towards him and Harry. "Mistletoe," he whispers, and that's when Harry looks up out of curiosity. "This should be easy." He looks back at Harry and brings him towards him by the hand. It's when Harry bites his lip, that Draco places his arms around Harry's waist and leans forward. Harry closes his eyes and tilts his head to the side, leaning a little forward until their lips are connected and nothing else in the world matters.

The smell of Holy covered and surrounded them, and so did the feeling of magic. Harry breaks away from the kiss as he really needed some air, and that Holy smell was a bit too much for him. He looks up and sees that the mistletoe had vanished. "That was my first mistletoe kiss."

"It was mine too," said Draco, and he reaches a hand up to brush a strand of dark hair away from Harry's green eyes which shined almost unnaturally. He believes it's beautiful even if they somehow manage to shine in the dark. "And I'm glad it was with you, Harry." He hesitated a little and smirks. "Merlin, that sounds cheesy."

Harry chuckles and nods at the question. It is a little cheesy. "A little bit," he says and gestures what he said with his thumb and his finger. "But don't we have a room to go to?"

"We do, don't we?" Draco asks but it wasn't really a question. Smiling at Harry's chuckle which he found adorable, he then took Harry to the library of the castle. From there they had to sneak through the library and try not to get caught by the Librarian Irma Pince. After a few shushes and giggles later when sneaking their way through the library, they were in the section of the library in front of the old bookshelf.

Harry quickly looked behind them and pulled down the book with a white cover. It triggers the secret entrance and made the bookshelf shake and open up like double doors. The two quickly made their way into the darkened tunnel and just kept going, even in the darkness as they know the Oak doors on the other end.

Halfway from the door, the torches in the tunnel spark up and give them light so they can see better. It really didn't help as they knew their way into the secret room. Draco opened the door and light-filled the tunnel a bit more from the enchanted windows and the candle lights in the room. They enter the chilly room and the door closes shut on its own.

Draco points his wand at the fireplace and flames roar into life, slowly filling the cold room up with warmth. He turns around and sees Harry sitting down on the midnight blue couch. He smiles and takes a slow inhale as he goes over to the couch, placing the salt on the little table and sits net to Harry. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something... About us."

"Oh," Harry says, and he sits a little uncomfortably on the seat, believing this could end badly. But what could Draco say that would be a little saddening about them? He hasn't seen Draco look at him oddly, or like he doesn't want to be friends. He realizes he's jumping to conclusions and shuts the voice out of his mind. "Okay... go on."

Draco sits facing Harry on the couch and reaches out to grab his hand, holding it in his. "Harry Potter... sometime last year, I believe at the start of last year I fell in love with you." Harry's mouth fell open a little bit, but he closed it immediately to not look funny in this situation. He can't believe it. He can't believe a lot of things. But he knew that if Draco didn't like him in the same way he wouldn't be kissing him. It made him smile and he could feel happy tears start forming.

"Since we met in Madam Malkin's Robe shop, I wanted to be your friend," Draco said, and he starts blushing as he is coming out to Harry. "I admit I was a little upset that you chose Weasley and Granger over me, but I now understand why as I was acting like a brat." Harry then nodded at that, and Draco smiles fondly. "When our eyes met for the first time that day, I felt something from deep within open up." Harry rested his elbow on his knee and his hand touched his lips. He's getting a feeling about what this conversation's about.

"Skipping forward from then, our second year is when I started noticing that I didn't hate you at all," Draco continued on. "It was a different feeling and it confused me. It was love." He noticed how Harry's eyes gleamed as he said the word 'love'. "It wasn't until our third year when I saw you on the train... Merlin, you really made me realize my feelings for you and they had grown so much. Harry, you've changed me almost, and in a very good way. It's all hard to explain." He took a minute to think about what he had to say net. "Now, do you remember the note I sent you during Potions class last year?"

Harry thought about what Draco said. The only note he remembers getting from Draco at the time was the one of a drawing of him getting hit by a lightning bolt while playing Quidditch. He smirked at the memory. "Yes, I remember that nice little picture of me you drew."

Draco smiles and runs a hand through his hair. "It actually was a love letter and I included where you could meet me in secret if you were interested," he explained and then bit his lip. That seemed easy to say but it really wasn't. "It had a charm on it where if you look closely words will start appearing from the picture and forming a sentence. If it wasn't for Weasley seeing it and putting it in the bin..." He hesitated and looks to the saltshaker. "I'm hoping you get what I'm saying here, Harry. But if you don't as I know you get adorably oblivious..."

He reached for the salt, takes off the lid and tips all the salt onto the table into a mound. He could tell it confused Harry with what he was doing. With his finger, he spreads the salt around the table, so it covers the whole thing, and he starts writing what he wants to ask Harry. He leans back so Harry can see what it says. "Can you um... read it?"

Harry looks at him, and then the salt. He shrugs and starts reading the words in salt. Draco swallows a little hard and starts fiddling with his Malfoy ring. "Harry James Potter, will you go out with me?"

Harry gasped a little as Draco said that, and he begins nodding quickly while tears pool up in his eyes. "Yes, Draco," he says quietly though he still cannot believe it. "Yes, I'd love to. Go out with you, I mean. God, you don't know how much I want this."

"I want this too, so much," Draco says, and he is excited that Harry feels the same way. It's been a dream of his to be with Harry and he hoped the dream is coming true. He wants it to come true. "Can I kiss you?" He knows it's a silly question as he and Harry have been kissing since the middle of December.

Harry nods and he instinctively leans a little closer. "We kissed this morning so..." he says and before he could say anything else, Draco's lips are on his and kissing him slowly and tenderly. Everything else in the world was forgotten as Harry melts into the kiss as he wraps his arms around Draco, closing every bit of space between them. He shivers as Draco's hands find their way down to his hips, and Draco senses it. He tilts his head to the side to deepen the kiss with Harry, and he pushes him slowly down onto the couch's pillows until he's over him.

Harry runs his hands through Draco's shiny, white-blonde hair, and smiles. He didn't think they could get this far into kissing. They part for a moment just to get air, and Draco sits up with a smile. "I love you, Harry," he says in a quiet voice and if he was any quieter, he wouldn't have been audible.

Harry blinks at him, thinking he heard wrong. "What was that?" he asks softly and sits up too, staring into silver irises that shine with an inner glow.

"Never mind," Draco says, and he leans forward again, tilting his head to the side for a short but slow kiss with his... his lover. But then Harry leans away, his face pointing down to Draco's chest and he presses his lips together. He then nuzzles Draco's face, rubbing his cheeks over Draco's soft and warm ones. Draco hesitates for a moment, trying to figure out what Harry's doing but he eventually follows along.

Harry has no idea what he started but he likes it. It's like the feeling when a cat rubs and bunts at your face but it's more intense as he's doing it with Draco. It actually means a cat is rubbing its scent on you from their cheeks which holds the scent glands. They both lean away at the same time and smile. It wasn't kissing but it was nice to do.

"Here," Draco says and slides his silver Malfoy ring off his middle finger. He reaches for Harry's right hand and brings it up to his mouth which he gave a kiss to Harry's knuckles. He looks up at Harry, his lips still on Harry's knuckles and he smiles at the red tinge appearing on the Gryffindor's face. He leans away and slides the ring on Harry's ring finger. It was a perfect fit. "I want you to keep it on during the day, and when you must leave you can give it back to me."

"Oh, okay," Harry says, a little wary about the fact that he could lose the ring somehow. What if it slips off? Although it looks like a perfect fit though how could that be? Having something that belongs to Draco on him feels odd yet interesting. "It's a nice ring." He sees a logo in the round part of the ring that looked up at him. It was a large black 'M' on the centre of a shield with two black dragons on the side of the crest. "Is it a family heirloom or something?"

Draco nodded his head and looks down at his ring. His family owned the ring. "It's the Malfoy family crest, Harry," he tells him and rubs his thumb over Harry's knuckle. "It's been in my family for generations. Only the oldest Wizarding Family have crests so I'm sure the Weasley's have one. And if one of your parents was a Pureblood, they would have a family crest."

"Not one that I know of," said Harry, and he shook his head as he scanned his memories for knowledge about the Potter family and crests that they could have. He knew of none and don't remember Sirius or Remus telling him of the Potter crest.

"Anyhow, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Draco then asked him, and he reaches his hand up to run a hand along Harry's bottom lip. It was distracting doing so, he couldn't take his eyes off those lips he's kissed multiple times. "I have already told you what I needed to say and ask," he continues and looks back up into pools of emerald green. "What do you want to do?"

Harry gave a slow shrug though he knows exactly what to do. "Can we um... lay together for a little while?" he asks, and he already is moving slightly forward towards the blonde Slytherin. "As a new couple?"

Draco smiles lovingly at him and he nodded, loving the idea with all his heart. "I'd love that," he said in a soft voice and moved back a little until he was at one of the dark blue pillows leaning on the side of the couch between the armchair and the couch's back. He leaned down on the pillow and extended an arm towards Harry.

Harry crawls forward and lays in Draco's arms, his head resting on Draco's shoulder and he wished he had a rug to cover them both but all he needed and wanted was Draco's body heat surrounding him with warmth.

"Hey Harry, when did you want to go on that date?" Draco asks, closing his eyes as the scent of pine flows through his nostrils and he feels immensely calm and relaxed. "Right now, I don't think I want to show our relationship status to the outside world. Not yet at least."

Harry shrugs lightly and looks up at him, still not believing his very eyes that this blonde Slytherin had asked him out and that he likes him the same way. "If you have any romantic but classic date ideas then go ahead," he said in a silent voice and wriggled a little in the Slytherin's embrace. He feels so right like this is where he was meant to be, in Draco's arms. "I love a surprise, Draco. So, surprise me."

Draco opened his eyes and looked down at the Gryffindor whose eyes were closing, and he looked pretty much at peace. The sight adored him. He smiles as he leans his head forward to kiss Harry's forehead and with his fingers, he brushes away the dark hair from closed eyes.

"I really love when you do that," Harry mumbles and feels sleep pull at him. He's never felt sleepy when he's laying alone but whenever he's with Draco, it seems too easy. It is easy. He loves how the Slytherin makes him feel and how his body reacts to whatever Draco does or says.

Draco gives Harry's forehead another slow kiss and he feels Harry slowly nodding off into sleep. He's looking forward to alone times with Harry like this in the future, where their snogging, cuddling, or just lying down next to each other. But he needs to figure out how he'll plan their very first date. Nowhere in Hogwarts is romantic unless he finds somewhere nice. Maybe a picnic under the Willow tree will be nice? But where will he get the food? Could he order some in from Hogsmeade? Probably. He'll figure it out soon. Oh, but when will he tell Ivy and Pansy that he's finished the promise? When Pansy comes back, she would have a lot on her mind about the first kiss he had with Harry anyway, so he'll leave it for later. He yawned silently and nuzzled his nose in Harry's pine-scented hair. When he closed his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep.

*****

Harry woke up inhaling a citrus smell, and he twisted his body around and blinked a few times when seeing who had their arms around him. It was Draco Malfoy. He smiles when remembering the conversation, they had, and the salt was still on the table in the words Draco had drawn with his finger. He reads the words in salt 'Will you go out with me, Harry' and feels his heart start accelerating in his chest.

He looks back at Draco and leans down, placing a soft kiss to the side of the Slytherin's jaw. He's seen muggles do it on movies and he has wanted to try it out. Draco doesn't even move when Harry kisses him, so he decides to continue kissing up and down Draco's jawline until he moves.

"If you keep that up, you'll make me hard," Draco slowly admitted, and he reached out and found Harry's waist. He tried pulling Harry back down onto him, but Harry kept resisting as he was a little shocked to hear that come out of the Slytherin's mouth. He knows what Draco means, of course.

Harry just stares down at Draco's sleeping face, wondering if the blonde was sleeping. He moved down a little until he was seated on Draco's waist, and he could feel a bulge under him. He knew exactly what it was he was feeling underneath him, but he didn't pay any attention to the feeling of Draco's cock under his arse.

He's glad they were covered in clothes, though someday he would like to see what Draco looks like underneath all the warm clothes. That's for the future though, if they ever dive that deep into the relationship. Sex wasn't on his mind at all. "Draco?" he whispered, waiting for an answer but he didn't get it, so he went back to where he left off: kissing Draco's sharp, attractive jawline.

Draco eventually opened his eyes. He woke up earlier when Harry started kissing his jaw and for real, it was making his pants tighten. He enjoyed it though, it's why he made it seem like he was still asleep. "I'm awake, I'm awake," he says and sits up, feeling Harry on top of him. Merlin... "What's the time? I feel like we've been asleep for hours."

Harry checks the time with a quick "Tempus!" and the golden numbers show up in front of them. They both widen their eyes in surprise, seeing as they've been asleep for five hours and its now dinner time. Harry then looks back at him, biting his lip. "So, are we going to come out to the entire school or like... wait a while and just date in secret?"

"I'm not ready for the whole school to find out, honestly," Draco says and shakes his head, looking at him solemnly. He hoped Harry will understand. "I would love to someday, just not right now. I don't exactly want my father hearing about this. My mother would be fine with it, she knows I'm gay."

"That's understandable," said Harry, and his hands find their way to Draco's and he links them together. He doesn't exactly want to have more attention being put on him or even Draco by letting everyone know he and Draco are dating. "Are we going down to dinner? Or staying here together."

"I don't know about you but I'm definitely hungry," Draco says, and he squeezes their linked hands together. He can feel his stomach rumbling for food and Harry's kisses. "I could eat a whole cow!"

Harry chuckles and thinks the same. He could eat two whole cows if it were humanely possible. "Let's go fill our bellies then," he said and quickly removed himself from Draco's lap. "I want more Turkey, and I'm sure Ron, Blaise, and Ivy are wondering where we've gone to. We need to make up an excuse instead of saying we've been snogging in a secret place for five whole hours."

Draco smiles at what Harry said and tries getting up but Harry's weight on his thigh isn't helping at all. "Can you please get off me so we can go to the Great Hall while holding hands?" he asked in a pleading tone and gave Harry's cheek a little nuzzle with his nose, making Harry gasp a little. It made Draco realize what he could do to make Harry feel this way, and he made sure to remember that he should nuzzle Harry's cheek more often. It's cute the way Harry reacts to it.

"I can do that," Harry says in an almost dreamy tone as he tries to focus on the task of getting up off Draco instead of basking in this new pleasurable feeling Draco gave him. He eventually gets up from the Slytherin's waist, though he wants to stay there. It's just the feel of Draco's hard cock underneath his arse. It's turning him on, and he wants to be turned on by Draco.

He looks down at the salt message and just decides to leave it there. It was a beautiful thing to do and he will remember it forever. "Let's go," he says and helps his blonde Slytherin up from the couch. They just stare into each other's eyes, getting so lost in them.

"I never got a good morning kiss from you, Harry," Draco says and already is sliding his arms around Harry's waist. He's gotten jaw kisses from Harry earlier which he loved, but he wants a kiss since he woke up a few minutes ago.

"Don't you mean an afternoon kiss?" Harry corrected him with a smile. "And I'll gladly give one to you." And that's when he leaned in, while Draco tilted his head to the side, and Harry attached his lips to the blondes. They kissed slowly and tenderly, forgetting where they are for a moment as the kiss shuts down their minds but keeps their hearts beating like drums and as one.

Draco makes the kiss short as he was really hungry, and he leans away. He then speaks from his heart just before they leave the room. "I get so lost in your eyes, Harry," he says sweetly and reaches a hand up to caress Harry's cheek with his thumb. "I feel at home in your embrace, love to hear your voice, and feel totally at home in this place we've only just begun to build."

Harry's mouth parts a little and he seems speechless at what Draco said. His Draco. The Draco he's only started being his lover too from five hours ago. And the Slytherin's hand, he doesn't know what's making him blush as it's either Draco's hand or what Draco said. He couldn't tell. He smiles and looks down to the floor. "T-That was sweet of you to say, Draco," he finally manages to say. "Thank you, I guess..." He then bit his lip and looks up into silver eyes which gleam with happiness. He leans forward and gives the Slytherin one more surprised quick kiss, and then he walks towards the door.

Draco's a little speechless himself from the surprising kiss, and he just smiles lovingly over at Harry. "Wait for me!" he calls and walks over to Harry who's already opening the Oak door. He gives him a kiss on the cheek and places a hand around his waist as they both exit the room.

Even on the way down to the Great Hall, Draco had his arm around Harry the whole journey and Harry just leaned into the embrace very so often and smiled every time Draco kissed his cheek. Finally, they made it to the Great Hall and Draco let go of Harry's waist though he didn't want to, and they walked into the Great Hall together.

All heads looked their way, but the boys chose to ignore them and sit at the Slytherin table. They began dishing up food on their plates and talking to Ivy and Blaise while Ron stayed quiet and ate in peace.

"So, where did you two run off to?" Ivy asked Harry and Draco with a smirk. It's the question they both knew was coming and they had to think of an answer quickly. "You were gone for a while. Five or six hours to be exact. So, answer my question and tell me where you two were?"

"We just went around the castle for a walk," Harry started the lie, though he hated even lying about this one little thing. "And around the Black Lake. We even stopped and watched the Giant Squid float to the surface of the lake."

"And to follow up from that we went to the Slytherin Common Room for a round or two of Exploding Snap," Draco added onto Harry's lie. It actually sounded quite truthful instead of bias to him, so he hoped Ivy and even Blaise believed him and Harry. "And then I took Harry up to the boy's dorm where we watched the Merfolk and Giant Squid swimming by. We um... we fell asleep watching the creatures of the Black Lake."

Ron suddenly looked up at him, confused and a little astounded. "The Slytherin's dorm room has windows looking out into the Black Lake?" he asked, and his tone contained wonder for the impossible. The impossible is possible in Hogwarts, and he knows this.

Harry wasn't surprised at all really. He knows the Slytherin common room has windows that also look out into the Black Lake. In the dormitories though? That's something he would like to see. Perhaps sometime else when he and Draco are alone, Draco will take him up to the boy's dormitory.

"Yes, Ron," said Blaise with a firm nod, and a smile as he remembers what they did under the mistletoe. "The Slytherin common room and dormitories have windows outlooking the Black Lake. It was a little scary at first when we were first years, and extraordinary, but we got used to it over time. It's peaceful too. It's like looking into a window that shows a new world."

"It truly is incredible to have when we wake up and go to sleep," said Ivy, and she remembered the times she invited a few Beauxbaton girls into the dorm room during the evening and they were mesmerised by the window and everything floating and swimming by. "I like to count the fishes or mermaids before I go to sleep. It's exactly the same as counting sheep but you can actually see the Merfolk and fish."

"Wow," said Ron, and then he starts eating the rest of his dinner, and everyone follows. When their plates are empty and they had second helpings if needed, the dinner vanished and was replaced by dessert.

Harry grabbed himself a slice of pudding with whipped cream and a cherry on top instead of his usual Treacle Tart. He's never had pudding before as it's usually on the other side of the Gryffindor table and he's just been too lazy to get it. And the first spoonful he had, he loved it. But it wasn't as good as Treacle Tart of course.

Draco smiled at his boyfriend if he could call Harry that, enjoying the Christmas Pudding. He dipped his finger in the whipped cream on his own pudding and wiped it on Harry's nose. Harry froze and looked down at his nose, and then beside him on Draco.

"Heeey!" Harry said with a prolonged 'e' and wiped the cream off his nose, a blush creeping up his face and with it a wave of heat. All he could hear was Draco and Blaise laughing at him, Ron snorting, and Ivy giggling. He groaned as Draco did it again but this time with more cream. He would have looked like Rudolph but with a white and soft nose. And then Draco did something that Harry could have gasped from. He licked the cream off Harry's nose and then gave a kiss to the end of his nose too.

Draco licked his lips as he swallowed the cream down. It wasn't the cream that tasted nice to him, it was Harry. He would do that over and over again just to see Harry's reaction and the blush that would form on his face.

Ron sighed and stood up, wanting to get an early sleep from what he's seen and done today. Maybe it's all a dream and he'll wake up on Christmas morning at the Burrow in his bedroom with Harry sleeping on the guest bed. "I don't know about you all but I'm going back to Gryffindor to get an early night," he told them, his voice sounding quite tired. "Harry, are you coming, or will I have to go there myself?"

"I'll come," said Harry. He was a little full of the pudding already and he knew if he stayed with Draco too much it'll be midnight when he wants to leave. It'll be hard to leave Draco even if he'll see him tomorrow. "See you all tomorrow."

"Bye!" Blaise and Ivy said and gave the two little waves.

Draco pouted a little at Harry, and he intertwined their hand from under the table. He didn't want Harry to go but he must. Harry has a dorm to go to and so does he. Plus, he wants to try the moon lamp and study the solar system in the crystal ball until he falls asleep. "Harry, do you have to go?" he tried but to his disappointment, Harry nodded. "Alright. But can I walk you there?"

Harry looked at him as he stood up from the table seat and he nodded. "I'd like that," he says as he knows and hopes he would get a goodnight kiss from Draco. It would be their first goodnight kiss and hopefully not their last.

"Bye guys," Ron said and quickly headed off first, not caring if Malfoy were to come too as long as he doesn't come into the common room. His quick departure made Harry and Draco follow after him. He sneakily glanced a half-smile at them whenever he saw Harry and Malfoy hold hands. It was cute and he admits it. But what Percy told him, it still rings in his mind.

When Draco noticed Ron had stopped at a picture of a large lady in a pink dress, he turned to Harry, trying to ignore the word Weasley said that opened the portrait into what looked like a tunnel leading into a common room, he pulled Harry closer and brought his lips to Harry's. Draco kissed him gently, pressing his mouth to the Gryffindor's. The feeling of fire completely consumed Harry, and he was lost in the kiss they shared. The kiss was a long one, full of mutual passion and a shared love. Harry buried his hands in Draco's white-blonde hair, running his fingers through it as he kissed him with an unearthly fire and passion. But then they finally broke apart, breathing heavily and staring into the other's eyes.

"Sweet dreams and have a good night, Harry," Draco then whispers after catching his breath, and he gave Harry's nose a little nuzzle with his own. To his amusement when he leaned away an inch or two, a blush rose to Harry's cheeks and spread across his face. "I'm hoping tomorrow we can spend the day as official boyfriends. I want to have our first date before the new year if that's okay with you. Or even better, on New Year's Eve where we can celebrate two things."

"You have a great night too, and that date sounds lovely," Harry says, and he slides his hands down Draco's neck, getting a feel of him under his fingertips. It sent shivers down Draco's spine from the touch and he instinctively pushed the rest of his body against Harry's. Harry rested his chin on Draco's shoulder, feeling the bulge of Draco's cock pressing onto his own.

Draco pressed a kiss to Harry's neck, making Harry gasp a little and close his eyes. He kissed his way from Harry's neck up to his jaw and then to his lips where he then kissed him a little fiercely. The moan that escaped from Harry's mouth went straight down to Draco's groin, and he turned them both around and pressed Harry to the wall. They've only started officially dating and Harry's already making him feel like this, so turned on. "Merlin, Harry," he whispered and attached his lips back to Harry's mouth.

Harry let out an "Mmm" in the kiss and slipped his hands up the band of Draco's Slytherin jumper, and he kept moving his hands up until he feels the skin of Draco's stomach. The Slytherin shivered in ecstasy and that only made Harry slide his hands further up Draco's stomach, passed the bellybutton.

Draco quickly leaned away from the kiss, and took a step back from Harry, not wanting to go too far. It was only half a day of dating and he already was getting turned on. Should he be thinking of this already? Or should it be in a months' time or more? Perhaps he should ask Ivy but keep the fact that he and Harry are now dating out of the conversation. He knows she's a girl, but she's older. Surely, she should know something. And he doesn't exactly want to tell anybody else.

As Harry knows Draco's about to leave, he looks down at his right hand at the ring that belongs to Draco's family. He slides it off and opens the palm of Draco's hand. He was going to put the ring in the centre of Draco's palm but the Slytherin had other plans. When Draco spreads apart his fingers for Harry, this gives Harry the idea on what Draco wants and so he slides the Malfoy ring on Draco's ring finger.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Harry," he said as he twined their hands together, and gave him a kiss to the cheek. "Have a good night!" With a wave goodbye, Draco was on his way back to the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry smiled at Draco's departing figure and cupped his own cheek. He then, after saying the password to the common room, walked through the tunnel and headed up to the boy's dormitory. There, he found Ron lying on the bed and staring up at the roof. "So, how was your Christmas, Ron?" He just wanted to ask even if he knows his best mate would have spent it with Blaise.

Ron sighed and turned his head around to look at him, remembering seeing his mate and Malfoy kiss in the middle of the Great Hall. He then said what's on his mind. "I kissed Blaise," he said. "But it was under a Mistletoe," he added quickly.

Harry widened his eyes a little and stared at him in disbelief. His best mate had kissed a guy. "Oh my god, Ron!" He beamed. He never thought he'd be able to have a conversation like this with his mate. "How was it? Did you enjoy it?"

"I actually enjoyed it," said Ron, and he nodded his head only slightly. "But... I shouldn't have. I can't be into guys. It's bloody unnatural and disgusting. I'm just so confused. Why should I be liking it when it's unnatural? Poofs are unnatural people. Girls and Boys were made for a reason: to make more girls and boys. But liking the same gender will just cut off your family line and make it go extinct. Why would you want that?"

And then Harry frowned, and he turned away from Ron, sitting on the side of his bed. His best mate just told him that people who like the same gender are disgusting and apparently unnatural. That just made Harry's day go from exciting and happy, to just complete and utter shit. He turned around, his body facing the head of his bed and he looked at his mate. He could already feel the tears forming in his eyes. "Do you even know what you said?" he asked him in a flat tone of voice.

He watched as Ron opened his mouth to say something, but he cut him off with a slow shake of his head. "Never mind, don't answer that..." he says and decides to grab his pyjamas, soap and dark blue towel and go have a shower. He just needed to get away and that's what he did. He sluggishly made his way to the boy's bathroom and undressed in one of the stalls.

He turned on the shower and stood under it. The tap water was magically charmed to turn onto a suitable heating for the person using the shower and it was just right for Harry. He began to break down into tears from what Ron told him, and he began scratching at his arms. Ron was right. He is disgusting. He is a freak who cuts himself. How would Draco continue on with the Malfoy line? Why would Draco not choose to continue the Malfoy generation and chose him instead? It was silly of him to think that he and Draco would work out in the first place.

He scratched and scratched at his arm, wanting to feel pain but as he looked at his forearm, he noticed the cuts he had made days ago appeared on his arm like he had just made them. It was the spell that he used to fade them from sight. So, he scratched and scratched until the scabs tore off and he began bleeding.

He leaned against the wall, staring at his arm and watched the blood form in the cuts and a few little droplets trickle down his arm. He just wanted to make more cuts just to feel numb from this pain, but the scratching did help him a little bit. He thought back on the day he had with the presents he got, the meet up at the Slytherin table with Ivy and Draco, the secret kiss behind the tree he and Draco had even if Blaise found them, the talks in the Slytherin common room, the game of Truth and Dare, kissing Draco in front of Ivy and telling her about the previous kisses, and last but not least, being asked out by the one and only Draco Malfoy.

What a great day it was but now his day just spiralled down just like his depression. He didn't want this to happen, but Ron had to just make him feel worse now. Now he feels he should have stuck up for himself, Draco, and Ivy. But no, he chickened out and believed what Ron told him. He is a freak after all. A gay freak who's disgusting. He believes he doesn't deserve the love Draco gives him, and the intense feelings around his body that are because of Draco. He just doesn't deserve someone so amazing as Draco.

Trying to distract himself from the negative thoughts, he began washing his body with soap until he felt he was clean enough to turn off the taps and dry his body so he can get into his warm long-sleeved pyjamas. He then proceeded back to the dormitory where he snuck in, searched through his trunk for the weighted blanket to try it out.

Harry locked his trunk back up and crawled up to his pillows, taking the weighted blanket with him. He wriggled under his bedsheets, turned away from Ron and put the weighted blanket over the top of him. In what feels like an hour or two, he was drifting off to sleep.


	13. The Yule Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder THAT I HATE A03 because I cannot STAND having to do all these hacking-like figures in my chapters JUST so the writing is ITALIC. It's the same when I want words BOLDED. >:c  
> I'm sorry. I tried so hard to make the letters and lyrics to the songs I put in this chapter in Italics but A03 won't let me. >:v
> 
> *cough*  
> On with the Drarry then.

Harry woke up with a groan, wanting to go back to sleep but knew Ron would wake him up anyway. He sluggishly pushed the blankets off him and got dressed for the day in one of the new long-sleeved button-up shirts, his regular black hoodie, and some of the new jeans. It has been hard trying to get out of bed since Christmas, but he manages to do so. And ever since then, he's been hanging out with Ivy and Draco while Blaise and Ron hangout together wherever they meet up at.

He has a feeling Draco's getting suspicious of his behaviour and really, he does not care. All Harry does is put on a fake smile and act happy. But that all changed when Draco asked Harry to meet him at the Willow Tree by Lunchtime that day which was two days after Christmas.

Harry was just walking to the Willow tree from the Herbology greenhouses and he pushed his way through the elongated branches. Right as he came through the leaves, he was blindfolded by two hands and he felt warm lips on his cheeks which sent warmth all through his body. It was Draco as he could tell from the citrus scent that filled his nostrils, but he also smelt fresh food from nearby. "Draco..."

"Yes, it is I," Draco said while smiling and guided Harry a few steps forward until he removed his hands from Harry's eyes and showed him what he had planned for them. He kisses Harry's cheek again, grabs his hand and leads him to the green, black, and white checkered blanket with a range of food in the centre of it.

Harry's jaw dropped at the surprise picnic Draco organized. There was so much food though. He sees a platter of fruits, crackers & different types of cheese, toasted sandwiches, and berries. "My goodness!" he says in utter surprise. The only way anyone could get these foods is from the kitchens and asking the house-elves for it. He knows not many people know about the way into the kitchens. "How did you get all this food?"

Draco sits down, and a few seconds later Harry does the same but on the other side of him. He feels a blush creep up and spread across his cheeks and he rubs the side of his neck. "I planned the date, but Blaise helped me with the food," he says and helps himself to a few grapes just to let Harry know he can start eating. "Blaise's mother knows a really great caterer. I just didn't know how to find food myself."

"It's perfect, Draco," Harry says and smiles while he cuts a thin piece of feta cheese and puts it on a cracker with a piece of salami. It's all so fancy and new to him. He's never had a picnic before in his life, so this is his first and it's with Draco. "And even if you didn't help organize the food, it's still perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Draco watches Harry eat the cracker with feta and salami and his smile widens as he sees that Harry likes the food. He then gets an idea. "You know this is actually pretty good," he says and cuts a little slice out of the Manchego cheese and smears it on a cracker and feeds it to Harry.

Harry hesitates but eventually lets Draco feed him It turns out he actually likes the cheese Draco got him to try. It was rich yet sweet. He lets the taste melt in his mouth for a few seconds before nodding with approval. "It's really good."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Harry," Draco says and for fun, threw a grape over at him. Instead of it hitting Harry somewhere, he actually caught it in his mouth. It surprised Draco a little, so he did it again and watched as Harry caught the grape in his mouth again. "You can catch the Snitch in the field quite easily by hand, but it appears you can do it by mouth too."

"I just found out I could do that," Harry says and reaches for a toasted sandwich. He could smell what's inside of the sandwich: cheese, tomato, and ham. Its that distinct smell that nearly everyone would know, and it made his stomach grumble, so he got into eating it. He wasn't a taste tester for chef foods, but he knew this was done quite well. He looked up and caught Draco staring at him who was eating from the fruit and berry platter. It never gets old, does it?

Draco crawls around the food to Harry and sits by his side. When Harry finishes the toasted sandwich, Draco grabs a twiggy stick, breaks it in half so there's no more than a few inches and holds it at mouth height. Harry knows exactly where this is going, and so he bites onto his end of the twiggy stick and Draco does the same. They continue biting towards the middle of the twiggy stick, knowing what's next and taking their time until they reached the middle. That's when their lips connect and they both focus on the feel of each other's lips on their own. Draco tilts his head to the side just to deepen the kiss a little, and his hands come up to Harry's arms which are covered in Harry's black hoodie. The feel of Harry flinching from touching his arm worries him a little, but he still continued to kiss him just to calm Harry down a little. His hands move their way down to Harry's hands and he intertwines them together.

Harry leans away from the kiss, and he pressed his forehead to Draco's. When Draco touched his arm earlier, he got a little scared. He doesn't want him finding out about his suffering and freakishness. Draco would probably break up with him on the spot and they've only been dating for two and a half days. It would break him even more if Draco were to do such a thing and he would be trying to deal with the immense pain in his heart and body. He wouldn't be able to take the pain and would probably end up trying to commit suicide again.

"Harry, you have no idea how much I care about you," Draco says, and he stares into those green eyes which look so glossy like Harry's been crying last night. Little does he know Harry has been crying himself to sleep for many months now. "I hope you believe me because I've been showing you how I truly feel about you through hugging, flirting, and kissing. There is always someone who cares for you without your knowledge and people. I am one of those persons. It's the same as Ivy and your Gryffindor friends. They all care deeply for you. But I'm the one who cares for you the most. If I don't then I wouldn't be kissing you, asking you out, or planning dates for us."

Harry does believe him. It's just whenever he's alone, and something goes wrong, and he feels worthless then he starts thinking badly amongst himself and his friendships and relationship with Draco. And when he wakes up feeling shitty, that's when he starts doubting whether people actually care for him. His life's just a rollercoaster.

"I believe you, Draco," he says softly with a little nod and leans away from Draco's head. He's getting a feeling that Draco knows of his depression, but he can't have. He hasn't discussed the topic with anyone before besides Ivy. But she told him she will keep it a secret. Did she break the promise? "I just..." He can't do it. He can't tell Draco otherwise when he's alone again he would think negatively of himself.

"You just...?" Draco repeats it to Harry but not as a question, and he raises an eyebrow at him. He feels like Harry's going to give him some answers which are really good, but he doesn't want to force it out of him. "Harry please speak to me about this. It's better to tell someone than to keep it bottled up inside you where it can eat at you from inside."

"Did Ivy tell you about this?" Harry then asks him but stares down at their intertwined hands. He hoped she didn't tell him. What would he do if she did? What would Draco say if he actually knew what goes through his head at the time?

Draco shakes his head and leans forward, brushing a few strands of black hair out of the way of Harry's forehead so he could give him a forehead kiss. "She didn't tell me anything, Harry," he says with a soothing tone and he lightly squeezed their intertwined hands. "I found out myself what you struggle with just not why you struggle from it. You don't have to tell me everything in one day though. You can feed me with little bits of information that's easy to say such as how your day has been, how you slept, what you're feeling. Then we can get to the more challenging questions like what your life is like at home. Harry, I would like to know these things because it will let me help you and it will help our relationship progress stronger. Do you think you can do this for me?"

Harry gives a sad nod and he looked up into silver eyes that he could tell were full of worry but also a gleam of happiness. "I'll tell you eventually, Draco," he says and hesitates for a minute. He then leans forward and puts his arms around Draco, giving him a hug because he needs one and he misses the hugs he gets from Draco.

The weight Draco feels on him makes him lean backwards until he was on the ground lying on his back with Harry on top of him. He laughs as Harry continued to apologize for the hug and Draco shuts him up with a slow but loving kiss that left them blushing and breathless afterwards. He gives Harry's nose a little nuzzle with his own and smiles as Harry chuckles and leans down for another slow kiss. A kiss which Draco accepts with all his heart and soul. For why would he not when he's fallen in love with this boy a year ago and yet he's falling deeper and deeper in love with him every day.

They eventually broke away from the kiss though they didn't want to but had to take a breather. Draco reaches his hands up and he cups Harry's face, admiring the perfection and attractiveness of his boyfriend. "You're beautiful," he says, and he watches as Harry's lips part a little and a blush spreads across Harry's face from his neck. "Your beauty blinds me because it comes from your heart and it is reflected in your eyes."

Harry's heart flutters in his chest, and he smiles down at Draco lovingly. What could he say back? "Your beauty makes the morning sun look like a dull glimmer," he speaks in a soft tone, and Draco just freezes, smiles, and then blushes from the compliment.

"Je t'aime Harry," Draco whispers as he just couldn't help himself. He's been dying to tell Harry the three words but in English for so long. He's just a little scared to say the words in English so he said them in the second language he was taught.

Harry tilts his head to the side, clearly confused at the word but he knows is in French and he's heard of it before. "I beg your pardon?" he asks him with a blank look, and Draco just shakes his head with a smile and leans up, his hands behind him to steady his weight. Harry blinks at him and removes his body from Draco and sat beside him again. "So..." He began trying out the different cheeses he hasn't had before and the fruits he hasn't had in a long time. "What are your parents like?" He wants to know what Draco's family and home life is like.

"Oh, well my father works for the ministry and he's usually working so I don't see him around much," Draco says, and he grabs the platter of fruits and puts it in front of them so its in reach. "But he's...err...nice at times. He's home by dinner and he brings home intriguing stories to tell. Then there's my mother who I secretly love more. She's there when I need her, she gives me a hug every time I come home for the holidays, she enjoys hearing how School has been and she writes to me every month." He then looks down at the fruit, grabs a peach slice and feeds it to Harry. "How about your relatives? What are they like?"

Harry swallows, nearly choking on the peach slice and looks to the floor. "Oh, um..." He never expected this to come up. Yet again Draco surprises him with questions he doesn't want to answer. But he'll try anyway. He's going to regret this later though. "I- They... they treat me like a house-elf and have been since I was young. They make me do the chores for them such as cleaning the dishes, making breakfast, hanging out the laundry."

Draco shakes his head in disbelief and sighs, wishing he could teach these muggles a lesson not to treat Harry like that. He didn't go on as he knew there must be more to the story such as what would happen to Harry if he doesn't do these preposterous chores. "I'm sorry they put you through this, Harry. I wish I knew how to help you just so you don't have to return back to that household. I wish I can take you with me back to the manor. My mother would love to get to know you. I have told her in a few of my letters that we've ended our rivalry and we're progressing together."

Harry nods, wishing he doesn't have to go back to the Dursleys on the holidays which he knows Uncle Vernon will be insisting on punishing him when he steps through that door again. "Can we move on from the topic please?" he asked beseechingly with a frown and started eating a few fruits and berries from the platter. "I'm not really comfortable going on with the topic right now. Maybe some other day."

"Of course, Harry," Draco says and reaches a hand up to rub Harry's arm up and down. "Now, all this food shouldn't go to waste. Let's try to eat it all and If we can't I can just give it to the Slytherin's to munch on in the common room."

*****

It was exactly 5:00 and Harry was rushing to get ready with Ron. He couldn't be bothered with being sad from what Ron told him about being gay and besides, tonight was a special night. He could have his first dance with Draco even if it means dancing in front of everyone. He had his Black and White dress robes on and was currently doing up his bow tie. Ron had his new midnight blue dress robes on and was currently trying to decide whether he should style his hair for his Fedora. Harry also was thinking of styling his hair a bit but knew it wouldn't work well.

"Ron, do you have any hair gel I could use?" Harry asked as he ran his hands through his messy hair, trying to figure out what to do with his hair or just leave it like that. He wondered what Draco was wearing, and who he was with right now getting ready.

"I hate to admit it, but yes," Ron said with a smile, knowing Harry just wanted to look best for Malfoy. Or was it Draco now? "I have hair gel; did you want to use it?" He was doing up his bowtie, trying to make it look straight for the night. Usually, he wouldn't really care what he wears or how he wears it but right now he does want to look great for tonight.

Harry sighed in relief as his hair was messy like always and he wanted to impress Draco if it was possible. Could his hair be styled though? He's tried and failed multiple times. "If you don't mind then yes please," he said with a little nod. "Do you think you can help with my hair? It's kind of hard styling it myself."

Ron nodded his head; he had been platting Ginny's hair when she was younger. It was fun and it was a part of how they got along as kids. "Sure thing, mate. Do you know what you want your hair to look like? Like... Slicked back, undercut, et cetera."

Harry thought for a moment, someone he trusts more to do his hair was Ron. However, he couldn't trust him knowing about his life with the Dursleys. He removed the thought of the Dursley's from his mind and thought about his first date with Draco two days ago. "Uhm... Just do what you think will look best on me."

Ron nodded again, looking at the mess of hair Harry had. He ran a hand through it and smirked, feeling how messy and curly it was. It wasn't tangly or had knots in it which he thought his mate's hair would feel like. In fact, this was his first time feeling his mate's hair. He was thinking of a good hairstyle to do for his best mate. "Okay, but firstly, have you finished getting dressed?"

"Yes," Harry said with a nod as he looked down at himself in his dress robe and the shoes he got. He just couldn't wait until he walks through those doors into the Great Hall, though it will be nerving, and he sees Draco. He wants the first dance to be with Draco, but he knows he must dance with Fred. Unless Fred and Draco do a switcheroo and change dancing partners.

"Let's head to the boy's bathroom for the hairstyling," Ron said as he grabbed a small round tub of banana smelling hair gel from his trunk. It was a nice smell and he hoped Harry didn't mind it. On the way to the boy's bathroom, he said, "There are mirrors so I can see what I'm doing and so can you."

Harry stood in front of the mirror in the boy's bathroom, watching Ron gather some weird light-yellow gel in his hair. That must be an everyday thing for Draco to do, gelling his hair. He wonders how long it takes Draco to style his hair in the morning. It looks like it must take ages but maybe since he's styled his hair for years it only takes minutes.

Ron remembered how his dad used to style his hair when going out with his mother. He gathered a palmful of gel and looked at Harry's mop of messy hair, thinking about how he can do this. "Okay, I'm thinking of the slick-back hairstyle," he said firmly, and he thought about how the end effect would be. It definitely looked fine in his mind. "What do you think?"

Harry shrugged. He just wanted Ron to try and do his best to style his hair. It doesn't matter if it turns out not perfect. He just wants to look good enough like he actually tried doing his hair. "I don't really care as long as you have fun styling my hair."

Ron half-smiled at his best mate and started styling Harry's hair. He first gathered up all the hair, brushed it back with his brush until it formed small curls. He then applied the hair gel to his mate's hair, styling it back until he was finished.

It took around three minutes to do and it made Harry think about Draco and how quick he must be. It probably takes him a few seconds then. He looked in the mirror and he was surprised to see himself staring back at him but with actual neatish hair. Well, it was as neat as Ron could make it. "Wow, you did an amazing job!"

Ron just shrugged. He just tried his best. It wasn't that hard honestly. "Thanks, but it is pretty easy once you get the hang of it."

"Do you want me to do your hair then?" Harry asked him and pushed his glasses up his nose a bit. He ran a hand gently over his slicked-back hair, feeling the gel in it and how shiny it looked. It also had a banana scent to it which was a little weird but it smelled like a banana milkshake so that was fine.

"No, I can do my own hair thank you," Ron says with a little shake of his head, a little worried about if Harry does something wrong and styles his hair into a swan or something. But a swan seems a little too difficult which he knows Harry won't be able to do. He just doesn't want his hair all messed up.

"Alright, if you insist," Harry said though he wanted to know what it was like to style someone else's hair and feel proud of it. He just wants to feel proud of something he did. Sure, he went through the first task and made it out alive but that was scary as hell. "Well, I must go down and get Fred. We have to walk in with the other Tri-wizard contestants and their dates."

Ron looked at his best mate, gave him a slacked expression and he furrowed his brows. He was confused with what his mate had said and what it had to do with his older brother. "What do you mean you and Fred?"

Harry just smiled and winked at his best mate. Shouldn't his mate know what he was talking about? It's very simple. "Oh, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean."

Ron just nodded but he was still confused as to why his own best mate would be going to the Yule Ball with his brother. He just shrugged and thought it was just some prank on everyone in Hogwarts, and damn he knew it was going to be a good prank.

He gave Ron a little wave and made his way back to his dorm room. He had to head down to the common room to get Fred so they can head to the Ball together. It's too bad Draco went with Pansy though. He's just glad they went as friends. He walked down to the common room and spotted Fred already there. He was wearing a lime green dress robe with black stylish shoes and a black tie. "Wow, Fred. You look amazing!"

Fred looked over at Harry and smiled, his cheeks were a slight light pink colour. He has been complimented a lot it seems. "Thanks, Harry," he says and gives him a pat on the shoulder. It would be weird walking into the ball with a smaller guy, but it would be intriguing to what everyone else would think. "You look absolutely stunning as well!"

"Thanks," Harry said with a smile and feels the heat rise to his cheeks when he holds out his arm to Fred. The older male linked arms with him and led them to the common room's exit. From there they walked down to the Great Hall which was where the Yule Ball would be taken place.

Harry and Fred stood outside the Great Hall with the other contestants and their dates. Harry saw Hermione next to Viktor and he had to admit that she looked gorgeous and so grown up in a ball gown with makeup on. Did he go forward in time or something when they're now adults?

Hermione waved at Harry with a warm smile and Harry smiled back. "You look amazing, Harry!" she said sweetly with a hand to her heart. She went over to him and gave him a nice big bear hug. "And so much grown up." Even Viktor seemed impressed with Harry's look.

"Thanks, you look beautiful!" Harry said in the hug and patted her back. Her perfume smelt like watermelon. It was a nice smell but now as captivating as Draco's lemony vanilla scent. He could hear the faint song 'Love Bites' start from somewhere inside the Great Hall. He wondered who put that song on since it's a muggle song. Oh, it was probably one of the muggle-borns older than his year as he knows there are a few who bring in their muggle things.

And then the Grand Hall doors opened into the lightened room of the Great Hall. Harry, Fred, Hermione, Viktor, and the other contestants walked in. There were claps and gasps coming from around the room. Harry knew that the surprised and shocked gasps were because he came to the Yule Ball with a man. He looked at all the girl's confused faces and just smiled, glad he could come out like this. He looked over to the right side of the hall and saw Draco with Ivy and Pansy drinking butterbeer. He listened to the music that was playing, nearly tripping over his feet but managing not to.

I don't want to touch you too much baby  
'Cause making love to you might drive me crazy  
I know you think that love is the way you make it  
So I don't want to be there when you decide to break it, no

Harry blushed as he made eye contact with Draco and the song was really getting on his nerves. He just wanted to go up and kiss the living daylights out of his handsome boyfriend standing so calmly with his friends. He stared down at Draco's lips, they looked so inviting and it made him even more nervous. He saw that Draco's mouth opened wide at the sight of him and he spilled his butterbeer all over his dress robes. Harry laughed at the sight and saw Pansy mutter a cleaning spell on Draco, so he was cleaned up.

Harry and Fred walked onto the dance floor with the other contestants and started ball dancing. He placed his left hand on Fred's waist and the other hand linked with Fred's left hand. He didn't want to just stare into Fred's eyes the whole time as that'd just be awkward, so he just stared down at the floor beside him and made sure he didn't mess up the dance.

"These dances are boring, I want to spice it up a bit," Fred said and gave his twin a look of mischief from across the room. George noticed his twin's expression and nodded. He went over to the muggle-borns in his year, and older and began chatting to them about what songs they should play next on what they call a music player.

Harry laughed. It was true, waltzing was getting immensely boring as he and Fred just continued the same dance moves over and over again. However, he knows dancing with Draco won't be boring even if it is the same dance repeatedly. "How much do you mean 'Spice up'?" he had to ask in case the twins were planning some mischief like always.

"Oh, I don't know," said Fred and shrugged a little. He learnt the Macarena, Nut Bush, and Gangnam style from the fifth-year Muggle-borns. Their names are Elton who's a Gryffindor, Rosemary's a Ravenclaw, Nikola's a Gryffindor, and Corbyn's a Hufflepuff. Elton and Rosemary are actually from America, and Corbyn and Nikola are from Australia. They came to the United Kingdom when they were young and grew up here. "The macarena, Gangnam Style and Nut Bush? Oh, and by the way, what were you laughing at when we entered the Great Hall?"

"Oh, Draco just spilled the Butterbeer he was drinking when he saw me," Harry said, and he looked over Fred's shoulder which he had to stand on his tiptoes to do so just so he could see Draco. The blonde Slytherin had a very pink face but the Butterbeer didn't stain on his white dress robes. "It was kind of cute, to be honest."

"Maybe I should start spilling Butterbeer on myself when I'm around you," Fred said with a wink at Harry. Though the thought of doing so would be daft and he doesn't want to ruin his dress robes. They might be secondhand robes, but they were hard to come by.

Harry chuckled and he quickly looked back at Fred as Draco looked his way. He can feel an opportunity come to him that's not that far. "Yeah, maybe you should."

*****

Before Harry and the contestants walked into the Great Hall

Draco, Ivy and Pansy were sitting around a table at the Yule Ball, waiting for the contestants to arrive. Draco was wearing silver and white dress robes with black shoes and a silver bow tie. Pansy was wearing a red long dress with short sleeves, long red hoop earrings and red thick high heeled pump heels. Ivy was wearing a black and red Victorian style dress that looked like something a vampire queen would wear with little black bats for earrings and her silver chain necklace was just showing from on her neck. Nobody but Draco knew what the pendant, that was underneath the dress on her chest, was used for.

The three were just sipping butterbeer's when there was a commotion that came from the back of the Grand Hall. The three looked over and saw a few older students and George putting on some weird Muggle contraption.

Ivy recognized the music player that Fred and the students who she knows are muggle-born had placed next to the gramophone. Two of the students were in her classes. "Why has George, Elton and Nikola got a Muggle music player?"

Pansy played with her hair by twirling strands around her fingers, and she crossed one leg over the other. She wasn't really paying attention to what was going on around her. She was just looking for Hermione, but she knew the girl went with Viktor Krum. "What's a DVD player?"

Ivy smiled, she loved having knowledge that other wizards and witches didn't have. It just means she gets to teach others about muggle objects and see their reactions after. "It's a thing you play music on and it's like a gramophone but can play more songs that don't require records."

"Oh," Pansy said impassively and she nodded while grinning. She was clearly not interested in what a music player was as she kept staring up at the doors waiting for the contestants to come in. Ivy watched her friend staring up at the door, she just wanted to push Pansy towards Hermione for fun when they come in. "

Draco took another sip of his butterbeer. Even he didn't know what a music player was until now. It was an intriguing muggle object though it reminded him of a gramophone.

The Great Hall doors opened, and everyone turned to look that way. Only Cedric and Cho were seen as they were in front of the others at the Great Hall entrance. "I guess Hermione and the others are here," Pansy said and drummed her feet on the floor to show her excitement while ogling the doors for a certain girl.

"Can't wait to see your princess now, can't you?" Draco asked his excited friend with a smirk. He was so going to enjoy this night, teasing his friend repeatedly. He just hoped he would get a dance with Harry at some point, even if it means staying till the end of the ball just to dance with Harry alone. He and Harry never talked about the Yule ball and what they were wearing. He was glad they didn't tell each other as he likes a surprise.

Pansy hit Draco on the arm, and she pressed her lips together in a straight line to show her irritation. "Shut it!" she said sharply as Hermione was not her princess. Although the thought of calling Hermione her princess excited her a little.

Draco rolled his eyes; he knew he was a bit too loud but hopefully, nobody heard him. He took another slow sip of his butterbeer. Suddenly, a familiar flash of raven coloured hair came into his view and he looked over and saw Harry dressed neatly in dress robes with his hair slicked back with just the smallest of curls appearing. Draco nearly spat out his butterbeer but instead, he stupidly opened his mouth in surprise and all the butterbeer in his mouth had poured out onto his dress robes. To make matters worse he actually dropped his goblet. If only his father saw him now.

Ivy watched as Draco spilt Butterbeer all over his torso and she laughed at him. "Draco, gosh are you too blinded by Harry to know what you just did?" she asked in a bright tone and her visage glowed with amusement.

Pansy looked back at Draco and couldn't help but laugh too. "He's lovestruck, isn't he?" she said and pointed her wand at Draco's robes and muttered a quick "Scourgify!" It wasn't exactly a question as they both knew how lovestruck Draco is for Harry. They can just see it in his eyes.

Ivy nodded at her, agreeing with Pansy with her whole soul. "Definitely!" she said and beamed as Draco never took his eyes at Harry. She's glad nobody saw her cousin's little accident. "Just can't get your eyes off him, can't you Drake?"

Draco stopped staring at Harry and felt a little hurt that Harry went with Fred Weasley. He wished he accepted Harry's offer to go with him to the Yule Ball instead of going with Pansy. "He's with Weasley number two," he muttered under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest.

Ivy and Pansy giggled at their jealous friend. "He's skipped the question, he's definitely lovestruck," Pansy said with a smirk and threw her Butterbeer cork at him. It hit him on the nose and fell to the floor.

Ivy smiled at her cousin, still wondering why he isn't the one on the dancefloor with Harry. Though he needs to be, and an idea popped into her head "Indeed!" she said with her hands on her hips. He's even jealous of Fred. "You know Drake, he only asked Fred because you never had the guts to ask him yourself. And you told him you're going with our dear young Pansy over here when she clearly told you that you can forget about her and go with Harry."

Draco narrowed his eyes at his cousin. He needed to find something to say so she doesn't become suspicious. "And how would you know that Harry didn't ask Weasel because he liked him?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. She was still waiting on the promise she asked her cousin to do. "Because I happen to be his friend and the best option would be to go with a guy so people will know of his sexuality and so girls stop asking him out or go to the Yule Ball. Oh, and because you two kissed on Christmas and told me that wasn't your first kiss together."

Draco sat there in silence for a few moments, taking in what he heard. He tried not to smile when remembering kissing Harry for the first time, asking Harry out and taking him on their first official date. "I hope your right about that as the thought of those two together makes me sick."

"The thought of Harry with another guy or girl always makes you sick, Draco," Ivy said sweetly, and she reached over to pat his shoulder. "It shows how much you love him and want him to be yours. So, if you complete the promise that I made you do then he can be yours forever."

Pansy was too busy frowning as she wasn't the one dancing with Hermione. She couldn't stop staring at her when she entered the room with Viktor Krum. "Am I allowed to just shove Viktor Frankenstein out of Hermione's way so I can dance with her?"

Ivy smiled down at her friend and her muggle reference which she introduced her to. "Yes, you can do that but without the shoving," she said in a slightly stern voice and pointed a finger at her. "Just politely say something like 'Hey, can I dance with Hermione for the next song?'" She then looked to her left at Draco. "Same with you too, Draco. Just go up to Harry and ask if he wants to dance with you. Simple. I could even go up to Lavender and ask her, but I don't exactly know where she is."

Pansy leaned back in her chair and sighed, finding this was quite boring just sitting here and watching the contestants and their dates dance. "This is so boring! I want to stupefy his ass out of the Great Hall and run into the sunset with Hermione."

Draco looked down at his best friend like she had gone mad and snorted. "Wow, that's very thoughtful," he said and gave her a playful nudge in the arm for a tease. "I think you're turning into a Hufflepuff, Pansy."

Pansy stood up and pointed her wand at Draco's throat, giving him a wry smile. "Don't call me a bloody Hufflepuff, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" she spat. "You and Ivy know what I'm like when I'm pissed."

Draco smirked and looked over at Harry. He was dancing with Fred so elegantly. He then began to feel what Pansy was feeling. Jealousy. He wanted to dance with Harry and have their first dance together as a couple. Looks like he must wait until the end of the night.

Pansy smirked at her best friend looking at Harry with jealousy and need. If only she had a mirror to show him the look on his own face. "A bit jealous are you, Draco?" she asked him and held her sides. "That jealous you want to Everte Statum Fred's ass?"

Draco glared at Pansy but nodded his head, very much feeling jealous over Harry. It should be him on the dance floor with Harry, not Weasel number two. He squeezed the chair he sat on in anger, frustration, and jealousy. "Everte Statum his ass I'll surely do," he muttered so only Pansy and Ivy could hear.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ivy asked, her eyes squinting with an inner glow full of mischief and she ended up cackling. She hadn't an idea why these two were still here in the first place. They should go to the person they want to be with. "Go get your man, you oblivious nincompoop!"

"What if I stutter or make a fool out of myself?" Draco asked suddenly. He still needs to act like he and Harry aren't dating by saying these things. He actually doesn't mind if he stutters when around Harry because when he does it makes Harry smile. That's all he wants too, to make Harry smile.

Pansy rolled her eyes at him, wishing Draco would just go up and snog the man he wanted. She knows it wouldn't be very easy to do but she wanted to see some actual dancing and hopefully some kissing. "Then take a deep breath and start again."

Ivy nodded, agreeing with Pansy on that. "In fact, Pansy will go and ask Hermione to dance without fighting for her so you're not the only one who has to ask for a dance with the one you want," she said as she grabbed Pansy and Draco and ushered them to the dance floor. She needed to do this anyway.

"B-but I never-," Pansy stuttered and winced a little from how cold Ivy's hand was on her arm. It must be the butterbeer. She tried distracting them and to her luck, she noticed something interesting. "Hey, look over at Weasel and Blaise!" she said and pointed to the left side of the Great Hall. She needed to change the subject anyway and Blaise and Ron were actually chatting.

"Oh, ha-ha!" Ivy said in disbelief with a roll of her eyes. If this was some trick of Pansy's it was not going to work. She doesn't give up that easy. She decided to drop Draco off at Harry first and then do Pansy. It'll be much easier as she knows Pansy can get a little whiny.

"No, really have a look over there!" Pansy said and shook her delicate finger towards the two boys chatting. Ivy, Draco, and Pansy saw Blaise chatting to Ron. But they all knew Blaise was flirting with Ron since he's been crushing on him since last year.

Draco sighed. He wanted to get Weasley out of the way, so he has Harry to himself. "Let's just get this over with so we will both get what we want anyway," he said unenthusiastically, and he let go out of Ivy's grip and made his way over to Harry and Fred.

Ivy watched her cousin walk up to his crush, feeling so proud of him. She hoped they will have a good night together. She then turned to Pansy, who just stood their mindlessly. "Well?" she asked her a little impatiently.

Pansy just sighed and went over to Hermione and Viktor. Her nerves were already increasing the closer she got to the dancing duo. Ivy sighed in relief. "Well, I hope they get what they both want," she said sadly and made her way to the music player where the muggle-borns and George were.

Draco walked up to Harry and Fred, feeling the sudden jealousy and nervousness overwhelm him. He needed to be brave about this. And besides, Harry was his boyfriend so he should be able to dance with him. "Uhm... Hi, Harry."

Harry stopped slow dancing with Fred and looked across from him. Draco Malfoy was standing a few feet away. He gave his Slytherin boyfriend a smile and said, "Hello, Draco." Was he finally allowed to swap partners? There weren't any rules to the Yule Ball was there?

Draco felt his nerves start to increase and he bit his lip. He shouldn't be feeling nervous though. "I was wondering if you want to dance with me?" he asks and holds out his hand for his Gryffindor boyfriend.

Harry smiled at him sweetly and then looked up at Fred. "Do you, uh... mind?" he asks him but was pretty certain Fred would let him. On the rare occurrence that Fred won't let it happen, he would just walk away from him and take Draco with him.

Fred shook his head. He doesn't mind at all. He actually wanted to join George with the music player and surprise everyone with funny songs. "Not at all, go and have fun!"

"Thanks, Freddie," Harry said and took Draco's hand. Draco squeezed Harry's hand gently, wanting the night to go on forever even if it had just started. He's glad he made the decision to ask Harry for the dance instead of staying at the table and chickening out.

"Just in case you needed reminding, you look gorgeous, Harry," Draco whispers into his boyfriend's ear and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're the most beautiful thing I keep in my heart and the most attractive looking guy in this ballroom." He held onto Harry's other hand; his left hand placed on Harry's waist.

Harry was blushing as he put his right hand on Draco's waist and his left hand held onto Draco's hand. "Thank you, Draco," he says and is aware people are staring at them. He doesn't mind though. It's a good thing because it gives them the realization that enemies can become lovers in a rare occurrence.

Draco looked up into Harry's green eyes, his own Silver eyes shining with love and affection. "Sorry, I got lost in your eyes," he says as he was getting so lost in the beauty of them. They shone like emeralds under the snowflake lights above them. "What were you saying?"

Harry hesitated for a minute and then broke into a chuckle. He leaned his forehead down on Draco's shoulder and sighed happily as he was finally dancing with the one he loves. "I love it when you flirt with me."

Draco smiles at Harry's neck and as soon as he hears the waltzing music start, he gets into position. "I could stare into your eyes all day long, Harry," he says and decides to continue flirting with Harry just to see the blush forming on his cheeks that he loves. "And I still believe they are the most beautiful eyes in the whole wide world."

Harry nuzzles his nose in Draco's neck for a few seconds and then leans away, smiling brightly at his boyfriend. "Draco, please stop," he says in a quiet tone. "You're making it hard for me to not kiss you in front of everyone here. You're literally teasing me."

"Now you know how I feel," Draco says sweetly, and he licks his lips at the temptation to kiss Harry which is definitely hard to not do. "Perhaps if we're really desperate we could escape this place and find a corridor to kiss and cuddle in. Does that sound alright?"

"Not alright, it sounds perfect," Harry corrects him before they started moving to the old classical music together, never losing eye contact. The boys moved with the music, flowing around the room like waves of the ocean. Draco was quite impressed with Harry's dancing skills and footwork. He wondered who taught him and if they give lessons to couples.

Soon enough the dance turned into a slow one and Harry laid his head on Draco's shoulder, feeling Draco's heartbeat quicken from his pulse. He felt his own heartbeat quicken which he smiled and melted into the familiar scent of Vanilla cologne and citrus hair gel. He was proud of himself for being able to finally do something with Draco in front of people other than stare at him, hug or even let the Slytherin kiss his cheeks.

Even though he loved endlessly staring at Draco, he reminded Harry of an angel. One of God's beautiful angels from heaven, even though he wasn't a Christian. But Harry believed Draco was even more beautiful than one of god's angels. He believed Draco was the definition of beautiful and perfect. No, he is the definition of beautiful and perfect.

Harry smiled as he just wanted to stay in Draco's arms all night or at least forever. It felt truly amazing, nothing like he'd ever feel. He felt safe, secure, he could go anywhere with Draco and the Dursleys would have disappeared from his mind. All the torture and abuse from Uncle Vernon moved out of his mind like waves of sound.

Draco smelt the pine in Harry's shampoo and conditioner. Although, he smelt banana flavoured gel in his hair. Weasley! he thought and scowled. Draco ignored the thought of Ronald Weasley putting hair Gel in his boyfriend's hair. He continued to dance slowly with Harry, and he squeezed Harry's hand, feeling a little squeeze back from Harry.

Draco just wanted to kiss Harry right now in front of everyone. He didn't care if the whole of Hogwarts sees, even if his father came to investigate his snogging sessions with Harry Potter. He didn't care. He just wanted to be able to be with this man in his arms forever. This man was so kind, pretty, stunning, handsome, hot, amazing, perfect, smart - in his own way...

Draco would have run out of parchment if he tried to write down why he loved Harry so much. He needed Harry in his life. They were like the Leprechaun gold coin to the Niffler, he was the Niffler and Harry was the gold coin. Or perhaps it was the other way around.

They stayed in each other's arms for around 20 minutes, loving every minute they spent with each other. They swayed to the slow music together, not caring if everybody's eyes were on them. They just didn't care. It was nobody's business but their own.

Harry then got an idea. He liked this old classic music but thought that the whole music needs to be what Fred said, 'Spiced up'. "I'm going to ask George to change the song to something much better," he whispers to him. "It may be a Muggle song, but it's perfect just like you."

Draco blushed as he nodded and looked right into Harry's beautiful green eyes. They held a sparkle of mischief that he just found so hot. He looked down at Harry's lips, it was so tempting to just kiss Harry. He looked absolutely beautiful. He wouldn't be able to help himself soon. He needs Harry's soft and feathery kisses.

Harry felt the same thing Draco wanted to do but right now he didn't want to be looked at by everyone, so he ignored the need. "Oi George!" He yelled across the room to Fred, George and a few other older students sitting by the music player doing the macarena. When the twins looked his way, he continued. "Play something muggle, please!"

Elton understood what Harry wanted though he didn't know him very well and put on 'Perfect - Ed Sheeran'. He winked back at Harry who chuckled and gave the back of Draco's hand a quick kiss. Draco smiled at him sweetly and Harry started leading the dance with Draco, hands in hands and staring into each other's eyes.

I found a love, for me.  
Darling just dive right in.  
And follow my lead.  
Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet.  
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.  
'Cause, we were just kids when we fell in love.

Draco and Harry kept staring into each other's eyes, the song was really making their feelings for each other shows throughout the room. Every word they heard from the song was true. They found love. They both believed the other was beautiful. They both knew they were kids when they found each other and fell in love and they were both waiting for each other since the very beginning. They both felt the familiar butterfly sensation in their gut and the strong drumming of their hearts. They continued slow dancing, hand in hand, staring into each other's eyes, wanting to kiss each other but not knowing when. They just didn't know if they wanted to come out like this.

Not knowing what it was  
I will not give you up this time  
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own  
And in your eyes, you are holding mine

Harry let go of Draco's hand and wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, he kept staring into Draco's beautiful silver eyes that stared right back at him. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, loving the moment he was having with Harry. Merlin, he couldn't help himself. He leaned forward and gave Harry a quick peck on the lips but then Harry parted his lips and kissed him. Draco melted in the embrace and really couldn't care less if people were watching. He tilted his head to the side and deepened the kiss, his hand came up and rested underneath Harry's chin while his other hand stayed around Harry's waist but gripped him more firmly.

They swayed slowly along with the beautiful music, listening to their own beating heartbeats explode with love while kissing in the middle of the dance floor. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment. But they had to lean away from the kissing as the chorus began and Harry didn't want to miss out on dancing with Draco for the whole song.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms  
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song  
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath  
But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

As if on cue, the lights dimmed. The whole room turned dark with only the snowflakes just giving enough light to see everyone in the room. Harry was slowly regretting asking George to put the music on, it was just making him want to kiss Draco again but longer than necessary. He wanted a full make-out session with Draco.

Draco was feeling the same, wanting to kiss Harry again because of this Muggle song. He just wanted to pin Harry to a wall and kiss him until both of their lips are sore from the intense snogging. He didn't know who this Muggle songwriter was but if he ever met him, he'd surely thank him for this amazing music that he got to share the first dance to with his boyfriend.

Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know  
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home  
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets  
To carry love, to carry children of our own

"I'm amazed when I look at you, Harry," Draco says and leans towards Harry's ear so the green-eyed Gryffindor could hear what he wanted to say more clearly. "Not just because of your looks, but because of the fact that everything I've ever wanted is right in front of me."

Harry smiles when a blush forms on his cheeks and nuzzled Draco's neck with his nose, smelling the citrus and sweet smell of vanilla. He could lay with Draco forever and not get bored of the scents he's smelling. "Stop with these compliments, Draco. You're making me blush."

Draco laughed quietly at his boyfriend, thinking about why he would want the compliments to be stopped when he obviously likes them. "But I love seeing your cheeks turn that beautiful shade of red, Harry," he says and reaches a hand up to move some of Harry's fringe away from his scar. It's so he could lean up and place a kiss to the lightning bolt scar.

Harry closed his eyes and felt a tingly sensation come from his scar where Draco had kissed it. It was like Draco's kiss was healing the scar almost, but he knew that wasn't possible. When Draco's forehead was back on his own, he opened his eyes and watched Draco's eyes glimmer under the lights. "You belong with me," he whispers and bites his lip at Draco's smile. "You've got a smile that could light up a whole bloody town and city, Draco."

"Don't make me kiss you, Harry," Draco said and used a soft tone. The thought was urging him to do it, but he fought it back. "It's quite tempting." The look in Harry's eyes told him just to do it but he didn't want Nott, Crabbe and Goyle seeing the kiss. Who knows how fast messages can travel from tonight?

We are still kids, but we're so in love  
Fighting against all odds  
I know we'll be alright this time  
Darling, just hold my hand  
Be my girl, I'll be your man  
I see my future in your eyes

Harry and Draco were still swaying to the music, feeling like they were in a dream. The night just felt so magical, like in a fairy tale. 'We are still kids, but we're so in love' was a very powerful message Harry and Draco held on to as well as 'Fighting against all odds' since they both were fighting against something. But the part that drove Draco to near-tears was 'I see my future in your eyes'. He could see his future in Harry's green eyes. It wasn't a clear future, but he could see it.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms  
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song  
When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful  
I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight

Harry and Draco leaned in closer until their noses were slightly touching. They then chuckled silently after booping each other on the nose, and so they press foreheads together and closed their eyes when smelling the other's scent. Draco's Vanilla cologne and Harry's pine. Harry knows Rita Skeeter would have a field day if she ever found out about him and Draco like this, dancing in the middle of the dance floor with other couples around them.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms  
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song

He looks beside him and spots Fleur dancing with a guy, and Hermione with Pansy, Seamus with Dean, Ron with Blaise, and Cedric with Cho. He pondered where Joshua, Cedric's boyfriend was. Oh, that's right. The guy was in France. It was nice seeing Ron dancing with Blaise though Blaise seemed like he was enjoying it more than Ron. But maybe Ron's hiding what he's feeling.

I have faith in what I see  
Now I know I have met an angel in person

Draco opened his eyes, noticing Harry was looking to the side of them. He quickly pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek and then to his neck. It made Harry look back at him. "Who are you looking at, Harry?"

"Ron and Blaise are dancing together," Harry says when feeling Draco's kiss still lingering on his cheek and neck and he smiles when Draco pressed their foreheads together again. It was a beautiful feeling actually, being close to your lover like this and dancing together. He didn't want this day to end.

"Looks like Blaise got what he wanted then," said Draco, and he smiled over at Weasel and his best friend. He really has no idea what Blaise sees in the Weasel but what he gives his friend is happiness and hope for the future.

"Ron kissed Blaise on Christmas day," Harry then said and wondered if the kiss actually meant anything and if he should have told Draco that instead of keeping it a secret. Ron had kept his mouth shut when Ron saw Harry and Draco kiss at Christmas.

"Oh, did he now?" Draco asked and smirked at the thought of being able to tease Blaise now. He cannot wait to get started on it. "Honestly, I thought Blaise would have been the one to kiss Weasley. It seems I was wrong."

"You were definitely wrong, Draco," Harry says silently and gave Draco's nose a kiss which made Draco roll his eyes with a smile.

And she looks perfect  
I don't deserve this  
You look perfect tonight

Harry believed everything in the lyrics. He had Draco in his arms, they may have not been barefoot, but it was something. He has faith in what he sees. He has met an angel, even if he's a complete git sometimes. Draco looks absolutely perfect to Harry and sadly, he believed he didn't deserve such an amazing man. But he tries his best not to think on the negatives tonight. Only the positives.

Pansy and Hermione came running over to the two lovebirds dancing just as the song ended. Pansy had panic all over her face and grasped the side of her head to try and regain control of her breathing.

Draco saw the panic written all over his friend's face. He looked around the ball and didn't see his cousin anywhere. Now he began to worry for his cousin and her whereabouts. "What is it?" he asked fairly quickly with a mixture of worry and panic.

"It's Ivy!" Pansy managed to say between breaths and gasps of air.

"Dang it!" Draco said and turned to Harry. He smiled lovingly and whispered into Harry's ear, "Thank you for the night, Harry." He then kissed Harry on the cheek, but Harry surprised him with a slow kiss to the neck. He could feel Harry's breath on his skin, and it gave him a tingly feeling within. It calmed him down in the current situation they were in.

Harry blushed and smiled lovingly back at Draco and watched him run off with pansy. He just hoped Ivy was okay, wherever she was. He cupped his hand over his cheek where Draco kissed him and repeated the exact same words Fred had said to him a month ago. It was so Hermione wouldn't get suspicious of the kisses. He hasn't told her about him and Draco dating yet and he doesn't know when he'll do that. "I'm never washing my cheek again."

Hermione giggled at her lovestruck best friend and gave him a little smile. "I know you won't, Harry," she said and doubted whether or not he actually will wash his face for months. But she'll make sure he does. "Although, it seemed that you and Draco had a pretty fun time. And we saw when you two kissed! It was so beautiful, Harry. You both looked so much in love with each other."

Harry lowered his hand from his cheek and sighed. He loved Draco so much and the blonde Slytherin was absolutely handsome tonight. Well, Draco's always unbelievably handsome every day whether he was in his school robes or not. "Yeah, um," he said and rubbed his arm up and down. "It was quite extraordinary, and I would do it again if I could."

"You gave me the feels, Harry," Hermione said with a hand to her heart and gave him a soft expression. She swore she nearly cried tears of joy twice. "It was like watching a gay Hallmark movie. So beautiful and romantic."

Harry smiled at his best friend. Speaking of best friends... "So, where's Ron?"

Hermione gave him a knowing smile and pointed over to a table where Ron and Blaise were seated. Blaise had his head tilted to his side like he was studying Ron, and his hand came up to brush some of Ron's ginger hair out of his eyes. "Blaise Zabini is flirting with him. I don't think Ron knows he's being flirted with though."

Harry gave a little frown at his best mate, remembering what Ron told him about being gay. He needed to distract himself before he fell into tears from the memory and had to run off to the bathroom somewhere. "Hermione... What does Je t'aime mean?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he doesn't know of the word and what it means. Everyone should know the word which is in French. She knows a little bit of French but not full sentences. "It means 'I love you' in France, Harry."

"Oh," said Harry, and he began to blush when he realized what Draco had told him on their date three days ago. Draco told him that he loves him but in French. He then smiled and ran a hand through his hair lightly.

"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked as she looked at him a little suspiciously. She pursed her lips in thought about what her best friend could be hiding from her. "Yes, I see that look on your face. What aren't you telling me?"

Harry sighed and glanced around the room for anyone that could hear him. He doesn't exactly want to come out now, but he knows Hermione will stay suspicious. "The song that George put on; it just made the dance much more magical," he started blabbering on about the dance instead of coming out to her. Harry smiled and stared down at the floor, watching a white balloon float across the floor where he and Draco once were.

He remembered how close he was with Draco. It made him remember a few classes back in Potions and charms, being closer to him made him all warm and fuzzy inside. "I could even see the need in Draco's eyes. He is so flawless, so handsome, like an angel from heaven but more perfect than god could ever create. I just felt like I wanted to be with him all night, in his arms and presence. He's so wonderful, Hermione. He's someone I want to be with forever if that is even possible."

Hermione smiled warmly at her best friend and his love life, even if it hasn't started yet. She believed that someday, it'll come true. She just listened to Harry ramble on and on about the dance he shared with Draco. It was adorable what he was telling her. How he wanted to be with Draco forever, it was just like a Hallmark Movie. A true love story.

Hopefully, just hopefully Harry and Draco will come to their senses and finally be together because they are so damned cute together! She and Pansy damn well shipped them so much together. Speaking of Pansy, she remembered the dance she shared with her. It was quite enjoyable, to be honest. She and Pansy just talked on and on about certain things. She didn't realize how much she had in common with that Slytherin girl.

Harry looked around the room but the strange thing was He saw Ivy. Did Draco and Pansy not see her? Odd. He narrowed his eyes to see a little more clearly and saw that Ivy had a black flask in her hand and poured some reddish liquid into her Butterbeer. He smirked, thinking that it is probably a beer or some kind of wine.

-

Draco and Pansy had just left the Yule Ball to search for their best friend. The dance with Harry was still on Draco's mind, it made him a bit less worried and the neck kiss Harry gave him helped a bit more too. But it couldn't change the fact that Ivy was out in the castle somewhere and all alone. He kept looking up at the ceiling or the high windows for her as they rushed through the castle as he knows she can get up to high spots in the castle.

Pansy saw the look on her friend's face and sighed. She wanted to say something to make this less stressful. "You want to talk about the dance you and Harry shared?" she asked him softly while taking off her high heels. She couldn't run in them if that's what they were going to do when searching for Ivy. "Hermione and I were practically in tears when we saw the two of you kissing in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by many other dancing students."

Draco couldn't stop the heat that rose from his neck and covered his face with a blush as he was remembering how close his face was to Harry's and the kisses they shared together. He wished he was with Harry again but right now his main priority was finding Ivy. "I know, Pansy. The night was purely unimaginable. I just wished it could have gone my way instead of... but let's just find Ivy. We know she knows a lot of spells which she can mend certain objects into sharp items."

Pansy frowned and knew that was true. Ivy had somehow turned a quill, a broken piece of table, lipstick and Butterbeer corks into a blade, and an inkpot into disinfectant so she could clean her cuts. "But why did she leave the Yule Ball?"

As much as he'd love to tell Pansy all about the dancing with Harry, he still had thoughts running through his brain. If anything had happened to her, he didn't know what he would do with himself. He couldn't lose Ivy; she was his sister more than a cousin. "The only thing it could have been would be feeling alone and left out, especially when she made us dance with who we wanted to dance with. She wanted us to be happy, that's why she helped us. Knowing her low self-esteem, she'd be doubting herself right now and that is why we need to find her before..."

Pansy understood what her dearest friend was saying. She placed her hand on Draco's shoulder for reassurance. "I know, Draco," she said sadly which her chin trembled a little. "Let's check the common room first, then I'll search the dorm rooms, then we check the bathrooms."

Draco nodded slightly; those places would be somewhere she'd go if she needed to relieve her pain. He just hoped that she didn't have a blade with her. He didn't know how she does it, he knew the blade he hid from Ivy that was in the common room had disappeared a while ago. Somehow, that blade had disappeared and ended up in Ivy's possession.

"Drake?" Pansy said, trying to get her best friend's attention back from out of his thoughts. Who knows if she'd be able to surface her friend from deep within his mind? He could be lost in his mind for all she would know.

Draco only half-heard Pansy calling his name. His mind was a mixture of Ivy, Harry, and finding Ivy somewhere cutting herself. He turned to her and nodded. "Yes, let's check those places."

Pansy nodded and they headed to the Slytherin dungeons to look for their friend. They even searched the potions classroom just to make sure but knew they wouldn't find her there and they didn't. They rushed to the common room where Draco checked every spot she could be at and Pansy checked up in the girl's bathrooms and dorms. Nothing. No Ivy.

"Anything?" Pansy asks, a little breathless as she meets Draco back down at the exit out of the common room. Draco shakes his head with a frown as they exit the common room. "I'll check the other girls' bathrooms. You check um... somewhere."

They hurriedly walked to where they think she could be next, trying not to get caught by Filch but all they knew was that he was at the Yule ball dancing with his cat. Pansy checked the other girl's bathroom but found nothing, and Draco checked Myrtle's bathroom. Nothing beside Myrtle moaning in one of the toilet stalls. He felt like giving up on finding her. It's like she doesn't exist anymore! But then he remembered her favourite place. The Clock Tower. He then began the long walk up to the Clock Tower where he found nothing again. He hated this and the anxiety he felt was eating him from the inside.

He groaned and headed back down, not knowing where his cousin could be. He hoped there wasn't another spot she found. He gave up and headed back down to the Great Hall. He entered the Great Hall again with a frown and looks around the room. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he looks to his side. Pansy had come into the Hall from behind her, and she shook her head.

Draco looks around the room again and feels the weight he felt when trying to find his cousin release. Ivy was at the back of the Great Hall with Lavender Brown, Parvati, and Padma Patil. He sighed with relief, his slumped shoulders straightening, and he pointed to where his cousin was. "She's over there! Bloody hell..."

Pansy sighed and went to the closest wall she could and leaned against it. She put her heels back on and wondered how they never saw her earlier. Then she sees Pansy dancing with Harry in a way she has never seen before in her life. She's used to ball dancing, slow dancing, and waltzing. Not whatever they were doing. "I'm going to go ask Ivy if she wants to dance soon. It's so she doesn't get lonely even if she's currently with a few people."

Hermione and Harry were with a bunch of other students and were holding their arms out, then turning them over, folding their hands over their shoulders, then their heads. It was all so confusing to the Purebloods. Then they all sang "Heeey Macarena!" then jumped 90° and repeated the dance over again.

Feeling his nervous butterflies in his stomach, Draco walked up to Harry dancing with Granger. As soon as he was a meter apart from them, he cleared his throat and thankfully heard the weird song die down. "Harry, I'm stealing you for another dance."

Hermione chuckled at the Slytherin and went over to the music player to whisper a song for a boy named Corbyn to play on it. It just had to be played for Harry and Malfoy.

Harry smiled at his best friend and was unsure what she said to George but guessed it had something to do with a song. He looked back up at Draco and swore the lighting in the room was making Draco sparkle. It was beautiful. His Silvery Blonde hair was shining in the light.

Draco stared into those beautiful green irises, not sure what to do since the music didn't start. He just stepped forward, grabbed a hold of Harry's hand, and held it in his. "Pansy and I found Ivy. She was here talking with Lavender brown and the Patil twins the whole time."

Harry laughed and let go of one of Draco's hands, putting it on the Slytherin's shoulders. "Yeah, I noticed her too when you left and thought that the lighting must be a little too bright for you and your beautiful eyes," he said as he moved his head closer to the blonde, licking his lips as he wanted a kiss.

Draco smiled and pressed his forehead to Harry's and sighing as he wanted too much just to make out with Harry right here. He still had to make sure Nott wasn't watching or word will spread to his father. Or perhaps it's already too late. He did kiss Harry earlier while dancing but that was only once, and he couldn't help it.

Oh, don't you dare look back  
Just keep your eyes on me  
I said you're holding back  
She said shut up and dance with me  
This woman is my destiny  
She said oh, oh  
Shut up and dance with me

Draco twirled Harry around with a smile, and he whispered right into his ear, "Shut up and dance with me, Potter." Harry felt himself blush and let Draco lead in the dance. The next thing he knew Draco was holding onto both of his hands, he was leaning back onto Draco's chest and was swinging side to side.

We were victims of the night  
The chemical, physical, kryptonite  
Helpless to the bass and the fading light  
Oh we were bound to get together  
Bound to get together

Like the first song, Harry and Draco danced to earlier, they felt the same butterflies flutter inside of their gut. Draco twirled Harry around again, this time he wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. Silver eyes met with Emerald Green eyes yet again. They both leaned forward and rubbed their noses together, basking in the feeling of each other just by a simple touch. Harry chuckled and Draco just smiled at him as they leaned away a little, forgetting where they were and that they were surrounded by other people.

She took my arm  
I don't know how it happened  
We took the floor and she said

Harry smile widened and he looked over at Pansy and Ivy, they were dancing together. It looked like they were having a lot of fun, but of course, they weren't slow dancing. They were just dancing in general, finding different weird dance moves to entertain themselves. Ivy was teaching Pansy the underwater dance where you hold your nose and wiggle your body downwards to the ground. It looked kind of funny, even if it wasn't really matching the song at all.

Oh don't you dare look back  
Just keep your eyes on me  
I said you're holding back  
She said shut up and dance with me  
This woman is my destiny  
She said oh oh  
Shut up and dance with me

Harry and Draco stared into each other's eyes again and never broke eye contact. They danced around each other to the beat of the song until it finished. By then, McGonagall announced that the food would be served soon so everyone should find a table with their dates or go to the back of the Great Hall where the photos will be taken. After the announcement, a few people started going to the left corner of the Great Hall where pictures were being taken in front of the three big white fir trees or they were getting food by the food tables.

"Do you want to get a picture or two with your friends?" Harry then asks him, and he moved his hands down to Draco's to intertwine them together. He glanced from Draco's eyes, down to his lips and back up again, biting his lip with a smile. "Or we can get one together."

"How about both?" Draco suggests softly, leaning closer and brushing his lips over Harry's. He just needed to feel Harry's soft lips on his again. They were mesmerizing and every time they touched his own, he just forgets where he is, and his brain shuts down. "But we can get the couple photo together. Group photos can be after and then we can eat."

"Couple photos it is," says Harry and he leans away from the blonde Slytherin's face. He nodded his head in the direction of the photographer. He then leads Draco through the crowd and over to the short little line standing in front of the three white fir trees. If the students wanted private photos there was a white wall that stands two meters high which you and your date could get a picture taken together and it's away from the rest of the students' sight.

They both waited in line for their time and when it finally came, they took two pictures in the couple's section even if the older students gave them odd stares, but they didn't care. The first picture Draco and Harry had their arm around each other's waist and the second picture Draco was kissing Harry's cheek and Harry had his arms around Draco and grinned at the camera.

Then they went over to the private photo area after thanking the photographers. It wasn't until they found out that the private photos actually cost to have, and Harry tried making Draco realize it's not worth it, but Draco insisted and said he'd pay for them. Harry didn't want Draco paying for the photos himself even though he knew Draco was loaded all because of the outfit the Slytherin was wearing. "Fine, but I'll be paying you back for the photos."

"That's sweet, Harry, but you don't have to do that," Draco says warmly and squeezes their intertwined hands. When they're behind the wall at the private photo section, that's when Draco pulls Harry into a slow and loving kiss in front of the camera with all of his body touching Harry. Harry feels his neck and face heat up from the kiss Draco suddenly gives him and he lets out an "mmm" as he places his arms around Draco's neck tightly so there's no space between them.

"Beautiful," said the dark-haired photographer with a classic French moustache and takes the first picture for the couple as he kneeled on the floor.

The compliment only made Draco deepen the kiss with Harry and he wants to taste Harry again after so long but thought it wouldn't be appropriate and the photographers were waiting. So, he leaned away and hugged Harry for the camera. Harry smiles and presses his cheek to Draco's when staring at the camera. The second flash of the wizarding camera comes, and Harry and Draco change their positions.

The boys now faced each other. Harry placed his arms loosely around Draco's neck and Draco's hands slipped their way around Harry's waist. They had their foreheads pressed together and they stared into each other's eyes lovingly. The next flash goes off. Draco kisses Harry on the nose. The next flash of the camera happens.

Draco then gets down on one knee and he smiles up at Harry. He then looks beside him at the photographer and the crewmembers. "Does anyone have a rose or a corsage?" he askes them kindly and looks at everything the crewmembers are holding. No rose whatsoever.

"Here," said a blonde lady with her hair up in a high ponytail. She had a name tag that read 'Suzie'. She uses her wand and transfigures her wineglass into a red rose then hands it to Draco with a smile at the both of them. "I hope it's okay."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Draco, then he looks back up at Harry. He holds the rose in front of him at Harry's waistband height and smiles. "Ils disent que vous ne tombez amoureux qu'une fois, mais cela ne peut pas être vrai ... Chaque fois que je vous regarde, je tombe amoureux encore et encore. Je suis amoureux de toi, Harry Potter."

The cameraman was nearly in tears but really, he was wiping away tears of joy. "Oh, that's Magnifique!" he then said in his French accent, and it surprised Draco a little. But that moustache, he should have known.

"I have absolutely no idea what you just said, Draco," Harry says sweetly but he knows his blonde boyfriend must have complimented him by speaking French. "You know I don't speak any other language besides English. Do you mind saying that in English for me please?" He gave him a little wink and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"You don't know what he said at all?" asked Suzie with a condescending smile. "Merlin, you have a boyfriend who speaks French, and you don't know what he's saying half the time?"

Harry nods at her, and he looks back down at Draco. "I accept this rose, thank you," he says and places his hand around Draco's hand which held the rose. He knows Aunt Petunia likes watching the Bachelor for some reason though it's a boring show and there's not even any gay guys, pansexual, Transexual, or lesbians in the show. And that's when the last photo was taken.

"Now for payments," said the photographer man and stood up from the floor which he was kneeling on. He gave the camera to Suzie and wiped at his hands like he was dusting them off. "Are we doing this now or by a Gringotts Check?"

"Ah, yes," said Draco quite calmly like he's done this before, and he nodded firmly. "I'll go by Check, sir." He goes up to the man with Harry beside him and watches the man closely, making sure he's getting out the right Check and not some scam. He smiles at the real Check the man handed him, and a quill to sign his name and what his Gringotts Vault is.

He catches Harry peeking over his shoulder at the Check he's about to sign and chuckles. "No peeking, Harry," he says and turns around to face his lover. He gives Harry a kiss to the cheek. "Can you please wait for me by the wall for me? I need to write a few Checks down then I'll be free. Oh, and Je t'aime, Harry."

Harry smiles and let's go of Draco's hand, his arm fell to his sides. Draco just told him he loves him. He's never been told by a family member or friend that they love him. Well, his parents would have when they were alive. He doesn't recall Hermione or Ron telling him they love him. In fact, did Sirius ever say he loves him? No, only Draco. "I love you too, Draco Malfoy," he says, but Draco and the photographer man had walked over to the white fir trees, so he wasn't heard. He sighs and goes to the wall Draco suggested he wait for him at.

Then Hermione came over with a grin. "Harry, Harry!" she said rather quickly and placed an arm around his shoulder. "We're having group photos now. Are you coming or not? Draco can come too if he wants."

"Yes, I'm coming and I'm just waiting on Draco to get back from paying the photography man for the private pictures," Harry explained and ran a hand through his hair which is impossibly still neat. He is glad his hair hasn't jumped out of the neat style it's in.

"Great!" Hermione said, and she let go of his shoulder. Then she clasped her hands to her chest and sighed at him like she knew something he also knew but nobody else did. "So, how is that boyfriend of yours?"

"Oh, he's incredible-" Harry starts but stops and hesitates, looking at her and felt suddenly weightless. She shouldn't know. He hasn't told anybody, and he is sure Draco hasn't told anyone. But if Draco did spill the tea he actually doesn't mind. "Wait... you know?"

"Of course, I know, Harry," Hermione said while smiling and gave him a nod. She's connected the dots. "Moreover, everyone should know since you practically kissed during the first dance. Oh, and the continuous kissing since the start of December. And my suspicion rose after you asked me what Je t'aime means. Don't get me started on the private pictures together as a couple, and the way you both look at each other. Harry, it's pretty obvious."

Harry looks to the side of him at the ground and rubs his arm up and down while smiling a little. She was the brightest witch of her age so of course, she found out this easily. "Right, and have you told anybody about it? Me and Draco?"

"No, Harry," Hermione said while shaking her head. She wouldn't tell anyone unless she's given the approval to do so. Pansy would be the first to tell obviously. "I wouldn't tell a soul unless you allow me to."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry says, and he steeples his hands and presses them to his lips. He then feels a presence next to him and looks to his side. He smiled at Draco and lets a hand drop down to intertwine with Draco's. He leans his head against the Slytherin's and his free arm hugs around Draco's back.

"Malfoy, everyone's over at the photographers and we want to take a group photo which must include you and Harry in it," said Hermione, and she pointed her thumb behind her. "We're all required to be there now so if you two would follow me we can get these photos out the way."

Draco and Harry nodded and followed her to the photographers taking group photos. They spotted Pansy, Blaise, Ron, and Ivy in one group who were positioned in front of the large white fir trees. They hurried over just so they aren't wasting the photographer's time. Ignoring Pansy's rants about where they've been, Harry and Draco joined the two other boys on the floor while Hermione joined the girls standing up.

Ron was on the floor, lying down with his elbow holding his head up and next to him Blaise was doing the same. Their heads were in the centre and their toes faced outwards. Harry and Draco sat behind Ron and Blaise's heads, their feet pointed outwards, but their torso and head were facing the camera. Harry and Draco had one leg bent just so their legs weren't hidden from the camera's view. They were leaning their heads against each other and smiling up at the camera. Pansy, Hermione, and Ivy were behind the boys and had an arm around each other's waist while smiling at the camera.

"Smile at the camera and say Flamingo's riding motorcycles," said the photographer in front of the group who Draco and Harry recognized as Suzie. She smiled at her own way of making the teenagers smile.

"Flamingo's riding motorcycles," the seven teenagers said and kept their cheerful smiles on their faces though some of them were confused with why they had to say such a thing. And then a flash came from the camera, nearly blinding Ron, and Blaise since they were closer.

"Good, now do a silly one," said Suzie. "Make funny faces at the camera, everyone. In three... Two... One..." There was another flash. She looked at the picture through the camera and chuckled at the weird faces she was seeing. "Now for the smaller group photos."

Draco, Pansy, Ivy, and Blaise moved away from the three Gryffindors so Harry, Hermione, and Ron could take a trio photo together. Hermione was in the middle of her two friends when the picture was being taken and they grinned at the camera. Then the trio went to the side so the four Slytherins could have their little group picture taken.

Pansy quickly stole Blaise's top hat from behind and puts it on her head. She placed her arms around Ivy and Draco's shoulder while pouting at the camera. Flash goes the camera. She and Ivy then kicked Draco and Blaise away from the camera so they could take a few pics of the both of them. Then Ron joins Blaise and they are back-to-back, their hats on their heads, and they look down but towards the camera. Flash.

Hermione and Pansy have a few pictures together too. One was just having an arm around each other, the second one is where they're hugging each other but Pansy's giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek. It made Harry smile at Hermione's blushing cheeks, he was glad she and Ron were having a good time. That's when the four Slytherins and the trio of Gryffindors notice that everyone's going to the large round tables to sit down for dinner, and so they go there and search for a place to sit.

"I want you to sit with me," Harry tells Draco with a little pout, and he leads him by the hand to the table Cedric, Cho, Viktor, Hermione, Fleur, and her boyfriend were at. There were extra seats, but they were probably for the Professors. However, the professors did have their own table which overlooked the crowd of students.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to though," Draco says, shaking his head and he gives Harry's hand a little squeeze. If he were allowed then he would bring Blaise, Pansy, and Ivy with him, so he wasn't the only Slytherin at the table. "I'm not exactly your date, remember? We just... came together."

"Who's actually going to say anything?" Harry asks him and began preening with his clothes as they neared the large circular table. "We will see what everyone will say when we get there. And if you're not allowed then I'll ditch them and sit with you."

"Yes, we will see who kicks me off the table first," said Draco and looks at the table he could sit on with Harry, wondering who will kick him off. "I bet it's going to be Weasel number 2 since he's already there. Speaking of the Weasel, you need to figure out where he's going to sit if I'll be sitting with you. You don't want to have to leave him without a seat now, do you?"

"No," drawled Harry, and then he sighs and wondered if Fred will be able to still sit with them at the table. He hoped so. He didn't want to have Fred feeling left out or down all because of him. "Let's just go and see, shall we?"

Harry noticed Fred was already at the table, and he sat down on the right side to Fred. Draco tried sitting down but when he tried grabbing the chairs they just moved to the side and out of his reach. It was like they were playing chasey or Tag with Draco.

Harry was just confused with what he was seeing. The chairs weren't even letting Draco touch them no matter how hard he tries. It's like they have a mind of their own. He would have scolded the chairs if he could but didn't want to appear odd to everyone.

All Draco wanted to do was sit with his boyfriend. Is that too hard to ask? It seems so for the chairs. He straightened his back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the chairs like they were a child misbehaving. "How utterly rude."

"Don't mind ve chairz," said Viktor, his Bulgarian accent as strong as it ever could be, and he was already holding his knife and fork for the meals which were soon to come. "They von't let you sit down unless it's vith your date to ve ball. The one you valked in vith through the doorz."

"Oh," said Draco, taking a step back and he looked over to where Pansy and Ivy was. They all were sitting down, even Pansy was. He gets why the chairs are doing this now but why aren't they messing with Pansy? He looks back at the table Harry's sitting at and at the Bulgarian. "But my date, who's my friend, she's already seated at a table with all my other friends. The chairs aren't messing with her."

"Bring your friend over here," the Bulgarian told him with a simple gesture of a wave. "She must sit vith you or you von't be able to sit vith us."

Draco sighed at what he had to do. But hat least he won't be the only Slytherin. He would have Pansy and even better, Harry. He leaned down and gave Harry's cheek a kiss, which surprised Fleur, Cho, and Cedric, and then he left a blushing Harry and headed to the table Pansy, Ivy, and Blaise was at.

Cho got the giggles and covered her mouth with her hand. "So, Harry, are you two finally a thing now?" she asked though the kissing she saw told her it must be a yes. The last time she ever saw the two together was when they crashed into each other in one of the corridors and didn't lose eye contact. She bets they could have stayed that way for hours.

Harry just smiled at the wine glass on the table in front of him and sighed happily. Should he tell them or leave it a secret until he and Draco do come out to the school? He's already told, Hermione. Well, she forced it out of him actually. "No, we're not," he said after a while, and he looked beside him at Hermione who gave him a disappointed look. He just shrugged and looked at Cho again. "But I'd like to."

Cho nodded and gave him a smile. But she was very suspicious of his smile. "How far into a relationship have you come to though?" she asked him. "I mean, you've been kissing. I know that. I saw you two kissing on the dance floor during the first dance. Oh, and there's the cheek, forehead and nose kiss I happened to see."

Harry laughed a little awkwardly, but he was given luck when Draco joined him by his side and Pansy on the other side of Draco. Ivy and Blaise seemed to join them too and the contestants seemed to not mind. He looked around the hall and saw Ron with a bunch of girls. He could have laughed as Ron was stuck over there with Lavender and the Parvati twins.

Once everyone in the room was seated, in the middle of every table plates of food started appearing. Steak and salad, chicken parmesan, pizza, omelette, burgers, et cetera. Harry grabbed a steak with salad and got onto eating the salad first.

Hermione looked at Harry's steak with a frown, then looked at him. She leaned to her best friends' ear and whispered, "Can I have half of your steak please, Harry?" She isn't hungry for steak, but her body needs it.

"Sure," Harry said, and he nodded a little slowly as he cut up his steak into a half. Whatever her reason is it must be good. But he still wants to find out why. "I'm not going to ask why you want half of my steak though," he added and stabbed his fork into the other half of his steak, and gave it to Hermione, placing it on her plate.

"Yes, please don't," Hermione said, and a slight flush rose to her cheeks and spread across her face. She started cutting her steak up into smaller bite-sized pieces to try hiding how heated and pink her face could be.

Pansy knew what she meant and gave her a sympathetic look. She knows the pain of being a lady. "Oh, darling," she whispers over the table and just wants to reach her hand over to her to hold. "I know what you mean. It sucks." Hermione nods, and everyone stays quiet to finish off their meal.

After everyone has finished eating, the music starts back up again, and most people get to the dance floor. Harry and Draco don't though. It wasn't a kind of dance they wanted to dance to, and it was very hip-hop. Elton and a few other people went to the middle of the floor and started breakdancing, and everyone formed a large circle around them and clapped along. Everyone except Harry and Draco who watched from the sidelines.

Harry leaned his head on Draco's shoulder, and he sighed at the breakdancing wizards. "Can we go somewhere alone?" he asked his boyfriend beside him in a quiet voice and rubbed his face a little on Draco's shoulder. His black hair tickled the Slytherin's neck a little and made the Slytherin laugh softly.

"Sure, I would like that," Draco says, and he intertwines his hand with Harry's and walks with him out of the Great Hall and away from the music flowing and echoing through the corridors and hallways of Hogwarts. "Where would you like to go?" he asked when they're safely away from the Great Hall.

"Do you think you'll be able to sneak me down to the Slytherin common room and into the 4th year boy's dormitory?" Harry asks him and gives a little smirk. He would like to see the Slytherin boy's dormitory and be able to look out into the Black Lake. He wondered if it's peaceful like Ivy said it is.

Draco looked at him, and then a smile formed on his face. Would he take Harry down to the place he and his dormmates sleep? Yes, he would. "I'm sure I can, Harry," he says and leads him down to the Slytherin Dungeons. "Class aptent," he says to open the Slytherin common room entrance, and when the entrance forms, they head on in.

The common room was empty thankfully. It was ten o'clock at night so all the younger Slytherins were in bed and sleeping. Harry looked around the darkened common room which the only light sources were the candles around the room. He then felt a kiss to his cheek and a pull by the hand which he then noticed Draco was taking him to the right of the common room and down a small hallway. The hallway only had one way which was left and on the top right wall was a little cobweb.

They went left and followed the hallway down until they came across two stone tunnels which lead vertically away from each other. The tunnel to the left had a stone snake with purple eyes and it curled around the top of the tunnel entrance, and the tunnel to the left had a snake with blue eyes. Harry had a feeling which was the boy's entrance, and which was the girls.

"Does your common room have a charm where it stops males from entering the female's entrance to the dormitories?" Draco asks as they walked through the right tunnel and down the next hallway which then showed a sign that said 'first years' on a wooden panel in silver letters and next to an arched brown door as they walked by, then a few meters forward the sign that said the second years was spotted.

"Yeah, if the Gryffindor guys try heading up the stairway to the girl's dormitories the stairs turn into a slide," Harry explained it to him and he watched every sign they pass, wondering if that's real silver carved into the wood panel. "So, if anyone were on the staircase, they would be sliding down right as the guy tries going up. What about you guys?"

"We Slytherins kind of have the same mechanism," said Draco, but he laughed a little at the way the Slytherin's have to deal with if they dare try and cross into the other gender's dormitories. "We can't go to the girl's dormitories, not even though the tunnel without it burning the hair off our heads or we get blown into the wall behind us. This one kid learnt his lesson last year. He was mortified about losing all his hair and having a back injury at the same time. It's the same with the girls too. The only way you can go into the other sexes dormitories is if you're holding their hands."

"Yeah," said Harry and stops when Draco stops in front of an arched wooden door and next to it was the sigh 'Fourth Years'. He feels excited as he's about to find out what the dormitory looks like. Draco opens the door, and he grabs Harry's hand as he enters so Harry goes in with him.

Harry walks into a large rectangular room and the first thing he saw is the three tall arched glass windows which were looking out into the Black Lake on the far side of the room. He didn't see any Merfolk, fishes, or the Giant Squid swim by though. The windows appear to have their own dark green curtains hanging down and just touching the floor.

Then he noticed the five elegantly royal and wooden 4-poster beds with Slytherin green drapes around the side. On the right side of the dorm room where they entered were three of the 4-poster beds and on the left side were the last two. Between each bed was a black bedside table with two draws and the only light source was the wall candles place between each of the beds on the wall and the large arched windows. The walls and floors were the same stone as the stone walls and floors in the common room but there was a large Slytherin green mat to keep the cold at bay.

Harry watched Draco go over to the middle bed on the right side of the bedroom and sit on its side, so that must be Draco's bed. Harry went over to the Slytherin, but he didn't sit down. This was Draco's bed he was next to. He knows usually dormmates just sit down wherever they want, even on their mates' bed but he wanted to be polite. He can't just sit down on Draco's bed and not ask for permission. He took off the coat of his dress robe and laid it on the end of Draco's bed.

When Harry got close enough to him, Draco grabbed him by the waist and pulled him down onto the bed with him. He smiled at the Gryffindor with green eyes who's on top of him, and he wrapped his legs around Harry's bottom. "We haven't been alone like this since our first date," he whispers, and he bites his lip at the possible events that could take place in his bed in the future with Harry. But he shouldn't be thinking about that now. "We should do this more often."

"Maybe we should," Harry says quietly, and he leans down for a kiss, and Draco leans up and connects their lips together and they kiss slowly inside of Draco's bed. Draco's hands come up and they thread and tangle themselves in Harry's messy black hair while the Gryffindor deepens the kiss and slides his hands down the front of Draco's dress robe.

Everything about Harry is perfect to Draco. The sheer softness of Harry's hair running through his hands is like water running through a stream. The feel of Harry's lips on his is just like before. Just like the way Harry passionately kisses. Harry's skin is so cool like the air of an early morning walk.

Draco makes a split-second decision to quickly turn them around so Harry's underneath him and he's on top of him. He places his hands under Harry's bottom which makes the Gryffindor gasp a little and he pushes Harry up to his pillows and he leans down to continue the kiss.

Harry sees a spark of emotion in Draco's silver eyes that he's seen once or twice when kissing him like this with all hands, body, and lips. He doesn't know what it is, but he loves it. Draco's back on Harry's mouth in an easy second after taking off the coat of his dress robe, and Harry's slipping his hands under the shirt of Draco's dress robe and running his hands up the Slytherin's chest. It was surprisingly a little muscular for someone so slim, but Harry guesses it's from the Quidditch practise since the second year.

Draco let out a groan of delight, and he kept himself up by his arms on either side of Harry. He opened Harry's mouth hungrily to let his tongue in as Harry would always obey to whatever he wants. Harry's green eyes opened a little in surprise at the feel of Draco's tongue in his mouth, but he succumbed to his boyfriend's ministrations without hesitation.

Draco wedges his knee in between Harry's legs and subconsciously rubs it up and down the bulge in Harry's pants. Ivy's told him one time that Sex can be anytime he wants it, as long as Harry wants it too. But it really isn't on his mind. Sure, Harry has made him hard at times just from kissing and touching but the thought of having sex with him never crossed his mind. Plus, it's a big step ahead in the relationship.

Harry just doesn't know what he's feeling right now while he's kissing the blonde. It's a new feeling and it's giving him a really nice pleasurable feeling from deep inside his groin. It's all happening because of Draco rubbing him in a spot which nobody but himself has ever touched. But the part of him was under a few layers of clothing and suddenly the thought of just letting Draco touch him there sent a shiver of ecstasy down his spine.

The feeling in his guts just intensifying and making him sigh and breathe a little heavier now. He had to lean away from the kiss just as he was afraid that he might be losing his breath. He lets out a little moan when staring into the Slytherin's silver eyes, and he bites his lip while he slowly ruts against Draco's knee because he wants to feel more of this pleasure.

Draco's staring down at Harry while he continues the rubbing at a particular part of Harry's body under his pants. He's just lost in the look of Harry becoming so vulnerable to him and the little sighs he's hearing come out of Harry's mouth. It's actually making him a little hard and every sigh from Harry's going straight to his own groin.

Harry's breathing was shallow and forced, even Draco's was too because of the sight he was seeing. Harry looked so beautiful like this, and Draco just wanted to kiss him again but thought down the urge as a high-pitched moan came from that perfect mouth of Harry's. The Gryffindor's hot breath whispered against his cheeks, and he felt his ears burn.

"Please," Harry begged the Slytherin, and heat rose to Harry's face as he felt like he just humiliated himself to what he was asking the Slytherin. He reached his arms down until he found one of Draco's hands and he brought them up to his own crotch just above where Draco was rubbing him with his knee.

Draco didn't know what to say. Harry was practically offering himself to him, and to touch him. He could feel Harry's hardening shaft under Harry's dress robe trousers, and it was starting his own orgasm up. "Harry, are you sure..." But he was cut off by Harry's nodding and pressing his hand down further on his crotch. "Harry..." He continued rubbing him, his hand over the top of Harry's hardening cock and the look Harry gave him, so full of lust, just told him to do it.

He swatted Harry's hand away and began moving his hand slowly up and down the material of Harry's pants and stopping his knee from continuing the rubbing. He was still over the top of Harry so he can see every bit of Harry's vulnerability to him and see him fall apart just by a single movement. His hand was moving slowly, but with such surety.

Harry felt the orgasm building inside him, drowning out the butterflies in his stomach from what's actually happening in Draco's bed. He knew two or three more strokes of that wicked hand would undo him completely. He felt powerless to prevent his own whimpering as he struggles to swallow the saliva pooling in his mouth. Draco's hand was so controlled, so completely commanding, and Harry wanted nothing more than to give in.

The thought was enough to push him over the edge, and he groaned loudly as the first spurt of come burned upwards and out of him, flooding his boxers with white stickiness which they both couldn't see. Followed by the first, the second and third spurt came out of him until he was empty and panting. His chest caved in rapidly as he stared up at Draco, not believing what had just happened and his colour rose slightly. "This is going to be weird to clean up," he says to silver eyes that shone down at him.

Draco was shocked back into awareness by Harry's voice, and he blinked and then smiled. This was just incredible, what he saw. He felt like he could come if he were to repeat what he has just done to Harry. Then an idea came in his head as Harry chose to sit up. It was dirty, but it was a fast way to clean up. "Maybe I can help," he says, and with a hand to Harry's chest, he carefully pushes Harry back down onto the pillows. "If you'll let me touch you, that is."

Harry had to rethink that in his mind. Draco is asking to touch him. He swallows and gives a little nod. "We did just do that..." he says but was still a little confused with how Draco's going to clean him up. Maybe a quick Scourgify will do the trick?

Draco bites his lip and looks down at Harry's trousers. He looks back up at Harry, asking for permission and he gets another nod. He sighs and feels butterflies start fluttering around in his stomach at the thought of what's under these pants. He slowly unzips Harry's trousers and with a little help from Harry lifting his lower body up, he was able to slip the trousers down to Harry's knees. He was looking down at black boxers. Biting harder down on his lips, he pulls Harry's boxers down to his knees and quickly looks up at the flushed face of Harry Potter. He smiles a little and braces himself for the sight he's about to see.

He then looks down at the cock which is flat against Harry's stomach and his pulse drummed across his entire body at the sight he was seeing. Harry was perfect. At least six and a half, if not seven inches. He's never seen anyone's cock but his own. So, this was new to him. And this was Harry's cock which was slightly covered in what looks like a sticky white fluid, and same was his black boxers. "Merlin, Harry Potter," he whispers and looks back up and sees that Harry's cheeks weren't just pink, they were a raw, burning red and his eyes were so shiny, it was hard to see where the pupil ended, and the iris began. "You're beautiful." He crawls forward and presses a quick and gentle kiss to Harry's parted lips. He then crawls back down so he has a view of Harry's dick again, and he leans down and nuzzles his nose on Harry's groin with the little black hairs.

Harry smelt good, so good. The sudden whiff tore through Draco, shooting straight to his groin and he grew harder, although he would have sworn such a feat would have been impossible. He lost track of time. He had no idea how long he'd been staring at Harry's cock, letting all these new fantasies and theories run through his mind.

He lifted the hem of Harry's dress robe shirt and twisted the fabric up, revealing a nice flat stomach and a neat thatch of small black hairs that are starting to grow. He took out his wand and with a quick swish of it, the curtains around them shut closed. Why didn't he do that before? He looked at Harry's black boxers which had white patches on the material. Ivy's shown him a muggle book before that she got from what muggles call a sex shop. It had a lot of things in it that he's read and learnt like moves, and what to do to make the other feel incredible.

Draco leans down and licks at the white come in Harry's boxers, trying to get as much of the delicious salty-sweet taste in his mouth. While he did so he looked up at Harry with his eyes, Harry was staring right back at him. The Gryffindor's face was only turning redder the minute and Draco loved it. When he saw no more trace of any white liquid on Harry's boxers, he cast a quick Scourgify on Harry's boxers which removed the translucent liquid and he put his wand down.

He looked back down at the cock he just met, shuffles back and leans down. He opens Harry's legs up wider and is filled with the desire to taste Harry's skin. He pushed his tongue out and licked the lengthening shaft with infinite care, memorising the subtle lumps and bumps of the hardening flesh. The taste of Harry was wonderful beyond imagination. He tasted salty and quite sweet like a green apple glazed with honey or candy. He couldn't get enough of Harry. All he could think about was the bitter, salty, completely addictive taste filling his mouth.

Draco worked his way down to the skin around Harry's cock, and licked and sucked away the semen with fondness, hearing those little sighs and moans from Harry that he cherishes so much. He made sure Harry's skin around the base of his cock was cum-less, and he placed a couple of kisses around that area. Then he grabbed the base of Harry's cock to lean it up and worked his mouth and tongue up with sucks and licks to Harry's soft skin.

He looks up at Harry who's staring down at him, and he places a kiss to the head of Harry's beautiful cock. He could see the pleasured look on Harry's face, and his beautiful parted lips. Merlin, now he's thinking of other places those lips could be attached to. He was moaning quietly to himself, almost-but-not-quite overlooking the painful throb of his own cock constricted in his trousers.

"Oh," Harry sighed, flexing his body, and pushing up into Draco's face. His hands were kneading at Draco's scalp, jerky and a little rough as his composure failed.

The satin softness of Harry's wet end rubbed a line across Draco's cheek. He ground his face into it, feeling the springy firmness against his cheekbone. His hand crept up and tickled the little hairs on Harry's shrunken, hard little sac, circling the ball of flesh and digging his fingers in around it.

Harry's body was in constant motion under Draco. His hips twisted and pumped, a mixture of reflexive responses and calculated movement. Draco's tongue lapped hard at Harry's shaft, revelling in the slippery wetness that coated the upper end.

He used his teeth to graze along the swollen length, loving the sound of Harry's torment above him. He felt his hair being pulled into painful fistfuls and pulled his head away so that his scalp screamed at him to stop it, but the stinging sensation merely pushed his need to please Harry higher.

Draco pulled his head back and lifted Harry's shaft away from his body so that he could lower his mouth right over it. He stretched his mouth wide to accommodate him, yet still, it rubbed against the circumference of his lips. There was just so much of Harry and he felt warm wetness spread in his groin. He didn't think his cock could leak this much when he's still a virgin. It made him laugh that even with all his saliva pooling in Harry's lap, his own was probably the wetter one.

When he pursed his lips around Harry, Draco felt sure he heard the sound of tears in the strangled sob that slithered over his skin. The sense of power, of ownership, surged over him and he devoured Harry with noisy enthusiasm, loving the pleas and praise Harry showered on him.

He withdrew his mouth to the sound of Harry begging him not to, but the begging turned to groans of pleasure as he flicked the pointy tip of his tongue over the very end of him, teasing the little seeping slit and sighing his gratitude for the succulent, salty-sweet flavour streaming over his taste buds.

Draco raised his face and looked up at Harry and used his hand to masturbate Harry lightly, stroking at his erection just enough to make the domed end bob and bounce against his lips. He couldn't help but touch himself, too. He pressed into his groin with the heel of his other hand, not knowing whether he was trying to distract himself from the aching throb there or spark greater pleasure. Whatever his purpose, he succeeded in doing the latter, rubbing his groin hard enough to hurt but ultimately pushing himself closer to wanting to release.

Harry opened his eyes at the change in tempo. Draco wanted what Harry had; wanted to drink him down and feel the hot spurts against the back of his throat as he came. He slid his mouth back over Harry's dick, never breaking eye contact as he tracked every hitched breath and every flutter of his eyelids. Maybe it was the regular tap-tap-tap on the end of Harry's cock as it hit the back of Draco's throat on each pass of his mouth that did it or even the gentle squeeze of his gag reflex as Harry fought to push past it and failed. It could have been the steady pressure of Draco's fingertips as he rubbed purposefully against the pulsing vein along the entire length of Harry. But most of all, Draco hoped it was the sight of his blond head bobbing up and down in Harry's lap, of his lips stretched tightly around Harry's unbelievable shaft.

"Oh, I'm-" was all Harry managed to choke out before the first jet of hot, salty come coated the back of Draco's throat. "Draco!" Harry bellowed, pushing him that last fraction of an inch so that he fell headlong over his own edge and came himself, grinding his enclosed bulge into his grasping hand frantically, as though the motion could make him orgasm any harder.

Draco had a moment of panic when he couldn't breathe around Harry. He was mid-swallow when his own orgasm ripped out of him, causing a reflex action to suck in lungsful of breath. He stiffened all over for a split second before the sensation left him, and he went back to savouring the taste of Harry in his mouth as his own wet heat spread across his groin. He sighed, sated, around Harry, eliciting a warm chuckle from above him and feeling a gentle hand stroking his hair.

After long moments, Draco slowly slid his mouth off Harry's slightly softer penis and pulled long, calming breaths into his body, and flexing his stiff muscles. Harry continued to pet his hair, sitting up from the pillows that were behind him. Did he just lose his virginity to Draco's mouth or does that only happen when they have sex? But aren't blowjobs sex? It was a little confusing. Draco looked up at him and crawled the rest of the way until his hands flung around Harry's neck and he kissed him heatedly and they lowered down back onto the pillows.

Harry felt a little awkward kissing Draco as he knew where that perfect mouth had been, but he started to not care and kiss the blonde Slytherin back with equal the amount of passion and love. He eventually leaned away as he knew Hermione and Ron would be wondering where he was. It's the same with Draco's friends. "Should we start heading back up now?"

Draco sat up and he gave a little shrug. "If you put your boxers and pants back on then I'm sure we can head up." He actually doesn't care if they have to go back up there. He just wants to stay with Harry for the rest of the evening until he knows that the students would be coming back up. Then he would have to sneak Harry out of the Slytherin house dorms and common room without being seen.

Harry flushes a little as he knows Draco's seen a part of him that nobody else has, and he reaches for his boxers at his knees and pulls them up. He does the same for his pants. And as he sits on the end of the bed, feeling quite incredible and happy. He sees the look of embarrassment on Draco's face and can't help but wonder why the Slytherin's embarrassed. "Hey," he says in a soft voice and places a hand on Draco's elbow. "What's the matter?"

"I... um," said Draco and he ran a hand through his hair. How could he tell Harry that he had come in his own pants and he wants Harry to do the exact same thing that he did to him? "Harry... I- I kind of came too. In my pants, I mean."

"It looks like our friends are going to have to wait a few more minutes then," said Harry coolly as he looked down at Draco's fly and licked his lips a little. He understood exactly what Draco meant and he wants a taste for himself.

"I-I beg your pardon," said Draco and he stared at Harry incredulously, his dick jerking in his pants at what Harry said. He thinks a bug must've gotten in his ear. Did he hear right? The thought actually excited him physically at the thought of having that pretty mouth on his own dick.

"You heard me Draco," Harry says distractedly as he moves forward, sitting on his heels and he rubs a hand over Draco's erection, making the Slytherin gasp a little. He unzips the Slytherin's fly and pulls Draco's pants down without hesitation. He licks his lips yet again at the bulge he sees in Draco's white boxers. He leans down and presses a kiss to the bulge he sees and then he got a whiff of what Draco smells like. God. It was an incredible smell. Better than citrus and Vanilla actually. "Lie down Draco," he gives the command, and Draco does what he is told and lies down at the end of his bed.

He shifted his hips upward as Harry's hands gripped the waistband of his underwear and tugged them down, exposing his erection, then his thighs. He could feel Harry's eyes on him. It was like they burned a path into him, but the burn was inside, not on the surface. Just the thought that he might soon know the pleasure of Harry's tongue licking his slit and the feel of the soft wetness of his mouth along his shaft made a heavy bead of clear fluid ooze out of him and hang suspended for a second before it fell in a steady trickle and puddled in his boxers.

Harry was nearly mesmerised at this sight of Draco showing him a part of his body which Draco only sees. He felt somewhat special because this dick was beautiful. "You're gorgeous," he whispers. "Every damn part of you." And the sight of the semen dripping out of the slit just turned him on again. He could just see the little blonde hairs coming through on the blonde's groin and he smiled in adoration as he was seeing Draco's path to manhood.

The sound of Harry's low, sly laugh drew Draco's eyes away from his own cock, and he watched with silent, screaming impatience as Harry edged closer and closer, parting his lips tantalisingly until his mouth breathed hot air onto Draco's shaft. When he lowered his head and finally kissed his cock, Draco groaned so heavily it sounded like he was in pain.

Harry wrapped a hand around the base of Draco's cock, feeling the size and weight of it and he leaned down and began licking clean the skin that had semen covering it from Draco's orgasm. Harry savoured the salty-sweetness of Draco's semen and lapped all of it up, not wanting to miss any of it as it's like his dessert for the night. When Draco's groin and around the base of his cock was clean, Harry leaned back up and gave Draco a wink.

Draco felt Harry's hand creep up and encircle him, pulling his erection away from his body and Draco watched Harry's mouth stretch around him and close, until all he could feel was an incredible, velvet heat, holding him still, but making every nerve in his body light up simultaneously.

Harry's mouth stayed unmoving for long moments, but he sucked and sucked until all Draco could feel was the most arousing constriction pressing over the head of his cock, and he watched Harry's lips grow paler as he pursed them harder and harder, imprinting every single contour of Draco's glans and his retracted foreskin on the inside of his mouth. His teeth were gritted with the tension, and the pressure only subsided and eased away when Harry released his suction and slid his mouth further down.

Draco had never felt anything so good as Harry sucking him off. And the sight of him doing it? It was hot as hell on a scorching summer day. Harry's hand worked in perfect accompaniment to his mouth, teasing Draco with feather-light strokes at the base of his cock and around his sac, and then back between his widely parted legs, pressing firmly into the flesh there until Draco could feel the fingertips like they were a part of his body, caressing his shaft from the inside.

He couldn't help but cry out loud as Harry's mouth worked him mercilessly, travelling up and down alternately fast then slow, wringing sobs and moans and impossible movements from Draco's body. Draco watched as much as he could, keen to savour this experience. But sometimes it was just too overwhelming, and his head dropped back against the end of the bed and he pumped his hips upwards, drowning in the feeling because he couldn't cope with the sight of it as well.

At some indeterminate point, Harry had ceased sucking, and Draco had started fucking. He only realised that he was abusing Harry's mouth so roughly when he was a couple of thrusts short of his orgasm, and then it was too late to be gentle. But from the noises Harry was making, Draco thought he seemed not to mind the force. That was the last thought he had as the orgasm lashed through his body, curling his toes inside his shoes with its intensity, and forcing its way into Harry's mouth and down his throat. He could feel the come drenching his too-sensitive skin as it collected in Harry's mouth before it was eagerly gulped down.

Draco cried out so loudly that his voice broke around the sound. He pushed the spurts out of himself, increasing the power of the sensation, even as Harry moaned and swallowed him down. He felt Harry's tongue swirl over his head, digging into the swollen slit there to get every last drop out of him and it felt amazing. But Draco just didn't have the energy to move.

His muscles wouldn't obey his instructions, and he lay there, quivering with fatigue, feeling himself soften inside Harry's mouth, and then feeling cool air as his saliva-wet skin slipped out and slapped against his own stomach. Harry rested his head on Draco's hip, catching his breath, rolling up his dress robe shirt and tracing shapeless pictures on his stomach with gentle fingers.

"That was incredible," Draco manages to get out, and Harry looks up at him with a smirk and licked his lips.

"Indeed, it was, Draco," Harry says as he leans away, the taste of Draco still in his mouth. He still cannot believe that they had just done that and it really was something amazing. He reaches for his wand in his pocket and points it at Draco's boxers, muttering a "Scourgify!" He couldn't see any cum on Draco's boxers because they were white and the cum blends in fairly well. He helps Draco pull his boxers up but lets Draco do his pants. He pushes the drapes away from him and gets off the bed and uses a simple spell to make the air surrounding Draco's bed to not smell like two boys gave each other blowjobs and he cast a cologne spell on him to get rid of any smells that Ron and Hermione wouldn't like to smell. He put his dress robe cloak back on and waits for Draco by the bedside table.

In a few seconds time, Draco got out of his bed with his pants on and he had his dress robe cloak on too. With him, the strong scent of citrus and vanilla cologne travelled up Harry's nostrils and made him sigh delightfully. Harry went up to him and placed his arms around him in a hug, breathing in his favourite spell-made or man-made scents from Draco.

When Harry hugs him, the first scent Draco smells is Pine, and he breathes it in like he's out on a morning stroll through an actual pine forest. "Should we be on our way to the Great Hall before a search party for us begins?" he asks his Gryffindor boyfriend. "Or McGonagall just dismisses everyone to go back to their Houses?"

"I believe we should go now," said Harry, and he brings his hands down to intertwine one with Draco's. he really doesn't want Hermione worrying about his whereabouts. But she's probably dancing with Viktor or Pansy. "Can I just ask..." He flushed a little at the question he wanted to ask his boyfriend. "Was that your first time giving and receiving a... blowjob?"

Draco bit his lip at the word and smiled with a nod of his head. "Yeah, it was," he admits and gives their hand a little squeeze. "It was a truly incredible experience too, Harry." He would have asked him that if ever he wants to have more fun like this he could just ask. But he didn't say it. "I'm guessing it's your first one too?"

"It was amazing," Harry says, and he leans forward to lean his head on Draco's shoulder. "And yes, it was my first. But I'm so glad it's with you." Then he hesitates, breathing in the delicious smell of Draco and leans away from him. "Should we go now?"

"Wait, there's still a spell we need to do," said Draco quickly before Harry decides to leave the dorm room and he brings out his wand and points it at Harry's mouth. He casts a mouth cleansing spell on Harry's mouth, so no smells remain or no bad breath from what they did to each other. "Now we can go."

Harry smiles as he's being led out of the dormitory and down the hallway away from the boy's dormitories and into the common room. They have a quick peek around the common room for anyone and sees nobody, so they hurry back to the Great Hall.

They rush through the corridors of Hogwarts, being aware of their surroundings in case Filch was somewhere to be seen. They didn't see him anywhere, so it made their trip back down to the Great Hall easier. They peeked their heads into the room on different sides of the door and snuck their way through until they found each other again. A few students were slow dancing together in the middle of the room, and Draco and Harry decided to join them and have another slow dance together.

Harry placed his hands around Draco's neck, and just as Draco was about to place his hands on Harry's waist, he sees some of his bodily fluids on Harry's lip and heat rose to Draco's cheeks. He quickly used a thumb to wipe away his semen from Harry's mouth and pressed his thumb to Harry's parted lips.

Harry looked confused and it just made Draco smile. "Some of my...err...fluids are on your mouth," he whispers and watches Harry nod and open his parted mouth to suck onto Draco's thumb. Draco felt Harry's tongue roll over his thumb, coating it with saliva and giving him the need to come again when seeing Harry look so confident and concentrated on the task of sucking his thumb and licking around his mouth.

The music then changed into a classical waltzing dance, which made Harry and Draco, and a few other fourth-year students to seventh years who wanted to waltz with their dates, start waltzing around the lightened, ballroom to the classical music. It was the kind of music that flowed through the dancer's body and carried their bodies like a flow of water in a river. The other students who didn't want to dance just made their way to their large black tableclothed round tables and sat down.

Harry and Draco fell in step, letting the rhythm control their movements. Harry felt right in Draco's arms, and Draco caught in his, the steps flowing between them like sighs slipping against a silk pillow. His emerald eyes glistened, and a smile spread across his face. Uncontrollable feelings surged through Draco, and his fingers tingled with delight from that beautiful smile his boyfriend gave him.

Harry and Draco glided effortlessly around the floor in the waltz, their actions were smooth and confident like they've been soulmates in their past lives and have waltzed together before. They were confident with dancing in front of the many 4th to seventh-year students, they didn't even choose to acknowledge their fellow students dancing around them. It was just Harry and Draco. Draco and Harry. Dancing as one, and dancing alone.

Harry's messy black fringe fell across his lightning bolt scar, and Draco desired to brush away his fringe so he could see that infamous scar. In his opinion, it made Harry look even more attractive and unique, like a gorgeous butterfly.

They moved their shoulders smoothly and parallel with the floor instead of up and down while waltzing together, and they felt elevated and lowered as they moved onto their toes. Their feet were like the waters of a stream: smooth and buoyant, and full of energy. Everything and everyone around them was spinning and were a faint blur to their vision, they only paid close attention to the other's eyes.

And as the music died down, Draco wrapped his arm fully around Harry's waist, and he dipped his Gryffindor boyfriend to the floor. Draco leaned down, brushing his lips lightly over Harry's pink ones and he whispered, "Pulchra es amica mea." When Harry furrowed his eyebrows at the obvious French words, clearly not understanding them, Draco made his move and kissed him, in front of everyone in the Great Hall. But there were no gasps of shock or any type of noise which indicated people were shocked at the scene. There was just the constant chatter of students and the shuffling of feet throughout the Great Hall. Nobody was paying attention to them. Well, no one except Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson and Ivy Black who were giggling at them from the round black tables which they were seated at.

Harry snaked his arms around Draco's neck, melting into the kiss but also deepening it as he pulled Draco's face closer to his own. Harry fits perfectly into Draco's arms, and his lips are moulded to the shape of Draco's which he feels they've been made for him. Harry tasted like anything amorous to Draco. He tasted like tenderness, warmth, and intimacy – Draco imagined holding Harry by a bonfire, watching the reflection of the flames dancing across his skin. He tasted like pure, clear water, as though it came straight from a spring. He tasted like passion, like pure, unrestrained passion. Whatever he tasted like, it made Draco want more.

Harry and Draco never stopped kissing in each other's arms. It wasn't until they heard an "Ahem!" coming from the side of them that they broke out of the kiss with flushed cheeks and lips shining with saliva. They slowly looked beside them to see Pansy, Hermione, and Ivy giggling at them. Draco smiled at helped Harry up from the dipping position they were still in, and he placed an arm around Harry's waist.

The next song had just started, but the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, turned It off and was now staring at his students with a twinkle in his eyes. "Good afternoon everyone, it is my apologies that I had to tune down the music. It is time to leave, the clock strikes 12:00 midnight. So please, say goodbye to your dates and head off to bed as classes begin again in the early morning."

"Lovebirds!" Ivy sang just as people started to leave the Great Hall to head back to their house dorms. She's just so happy to see her cousin and Harry look so happy together. It's beautiful, actually.

"Certainly," Pansy said with a smile and she rested her elbow on Hermione's shoulder.

"Very True," Hermione said, nodding while mirroring Pansy's smile. She started walking towards the door of the Great Hall as she wants to get into her warm bed as soon as possible. "C'mon Harry, we better get going before Ron gets impatient."

"And let's go wait at the Great Hall's entrance, Ivy," said Pansy, and she dropped her arm from Hermione's shoulder and placed it around Ivy's. "We'll let these two say their goodbye's." With a smile, she and Ivy went out of the Great Hall but peeked their heads inside so they could watch the kissing scene if there would be one.

Harry sighed at this news that he must go and looked to Draco with a smile. "Thanks again for the night, Draco," he says and leans away, intertwining their hands together. Then he leaned closer until his mouth was next to the blonde's ear. "I really enjoyed the time in your bed too."

Draco smiled at Harry while feeling his cheeks heat up with a blush that's spreading rapidly across his face. "It's no problem, Harry," he says in a quiet voice and plants a kiss to the tip of Harry's nose. "I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"Harry," said Hermione with an impatient tone, and placed her hands on her hips. She just wanted to go now and was waiting until the two kissed so she can go. She understands Harry probably wants to stay for a little while longer with Malfoy, but she doesn't trust Harry enough to return back the common room safely.

"I'm coming, Hermione," Harry said with a loving smile at Draco and he leaned forward, his hands sliding up Draco's clothed covered chest, and he wrapped his hands around the Slytherin's neck as he leans forward and presses his lips to Draco's in a passionate way. Draco deepens the kiss with a head tilt, and he holds Harry dearly in his arms and forgets about the rest of the world as he gives Harry his love through kissing and holding. They eventually lean away just to catch their breath and press their foreheads to each others.

"I'm going to have to go now," Harry says quietly to Draco though he doesn't want to go anywhere but stay in the arms of his lover who gave him heaven earlier. It was an incredible feeling which he's never felt before and he's glad it was Draco that he shared the pleasure with. "I'm probably going to get bombarded with questions from my dormmates relating to if we're dating."

"And what are you going to tell them?" Draco asked softly and brought his hand up to caress Harry's warm tender cheeks with care. He doesn't mind what Harry tells the other Gryffindors he rooms with. As long as they keep it a secret and don't go talking about it to people outside of Hogwarts.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and closes his eyes to Draco's hand caressing his cheek. He pushes his head into the caress and smiles. "I'm not sure actually," he says, still whispering his answer and turns his face around to press a kiss to the palm of Draco's hand. "What do you think I should do?"

Hermione rolls her eyes at them. She's going to leave them actually. She just cannot wait any longer. Her heels are killing her! "Harry, I'm leaving now so you'll have to go back to Gryffindor on your own," she says and is already two steps from the Great Hall exit. "I will literally leave you if you don't get over here."

Harry sighs at his friend's words and leans away from Draco. "I'll see you tomorrow, Draco," he says and gives him a lingering kiss to the cheek. He let's go of the Slytherin's hands and takes a step back. "Thanks again."

Draco nodded, and then Hermione walked forwards, puts an arm around Harry's shoulder and led him out of the Great Hall. They didn't talk on their way up to Gryffindor Tower as Hermione was thinking about a certain girl and Harry was thinking about Draco and what he's going to tell his curious dormmates.

Harry said Goodbye to Hermione in the common room and entered the boy's dormitory. He ignored everyone watching him and changed out of his outfit and into his Pajamas. He then looked up and saw he was being stared at by his fellow dormmates. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Neville said with a knowing smile and wriggled back towards his pillows. He got under his blankets and pulled them up to his waist.

"Yeah, nothing," Dean said as he snuggled up under his bedsheet with a big smile on his face, and he looked over to Seamus who had a still demeanour like he was aiding in observation. Ron was just sitting on his bed with his legs crossed and looking down at the end of his bed, unresponsive.

Harry sighed; he definitely knew what this was about. The questions were coming, he could feel it. But he knows they were more based around Draco and not Fred. "Is this about me dancing with Draco and Fred?" Neville and Seamus nodded slowly; Dean was unresponsive as he was under his sheets.

"I went to the Yule Ball with Fred because I kind of wanted to come out to everyone that way," said Harry and he ran a hand through his hair which messed it up a little. That didn't matter though. The Yule Ball was over. "I actually enjoyed it though."

Dean slowly crawled out from beneath his bedsheets, and he gave Harry a reassuring smile to say it's alright. "Harry, we don't mind at all if you're gay," he says. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. And we're glad you came out of the closet. You should be feeling proud."

Harry nodded; he knew it was okay to like guys. He's been told that by Cedric, Hermione and Fred. And he does feel proud and quite happy. He remembers having Draco touch, suck, and lick him in places that nobody else had. He knows that feeling felt like Draco was sucking out all the negative thoughts from his mind and cleaning his mind free with the lick of his tongue. It was a weird concept, but it felt right. "I'm just going to head to bed, it's been a long night."

Neville, Seamus, and Dean nodded in agreement before snuggling under their bedsheets. It was indeed a tiring night full of dancing, eating, and more dancing.

"I kissed Draco a couple of times," Harry then said and smiled at the memories of the dancing, the few little kisses on the mouth, nose, forehead, and cheeks. And he couldn't forget the little nuzzles with his nose in Draco's neck and his nose.

Neville peaked his head up from under his blankets, a little surprised by what Harry said. He did see the two dancing for most of the night which he thought was a little strange, but they actually look cute together. "You what?"

Dean sat up immediately and smiled knowingly at Harry. He actually saw it happen too. He just couldn't stop staring at the two who looked as if they were in deep love with the other. It was beautiful. " How was it?"

"Amazing," was all Harry could say and he looked over at Ron who got under the sheets of the bed he was on. He frowned a little at his best mate, thinking that Ron did have a good time. Especially with Blaise.

"Tell us more!" Neville pleaded with a wide grin, wanting to know more about Harry's night. Especially if it was Draco Malfoy. Who knew the Slytherin had a good bone in his body? He must do if Harry likes him.

Harry couldn't help but smile as it was all he could do. He told them everything about the night, from the dances they shared and the little cheek kisses here and there, and the nuzzles. But of course, he left out the part where he and Draco go down to the Slytherin dungeons and have a little fun on Draco's bed.

Dean also couldn't stop smiling. This was wonderful to hear. Harry sounded so happy and he couldn't have been gladder that Harry's maybe found someone. "That sounds like a dream come true, Harry."

"Oh, it most certainly was," Harry said in a dreamily and lovestruck kind of tone. He could smell Draco on him from the times they've been close enough to each other when their bodies were touching fully.

"So, can we hear the story of how you and Draco ended your rivalry?" Neville had to ask as he was curious about how rivals could become lovers in a matter of months. But over the year he has seen some sexual tension and staring between the two.

Harry told them everything about the truce. But, of course, he left out the secret rooms, the Willow tree, everything concerning and secretive. When he was finished, he bid everyone goodnight, got into his bed, and laid down. He had the dance with Draco, his Silver eyes, his blond hair, his cock, and his smile stuck in his head. Harry fell asleep to the memories of dancing with Draco and those silver eyes.

*****

Draco watched as Harry left the Great Hall with Granger. His heart was hammering hard against his chest because of Harry and that he couldn't even hear what Pansy and Ivy were shouting from the blood rushing all through his body. Draco forgot that he zoned out and had been staring at Harry's ass.

Pansy walked over to him with a smile, Ivy behind her, and she had to snap her fingers in front of Draco's face until he woke up from his thoughts. "Oi! Draco!" she said loudly, with a smirk when catching him staring at Harry's leaving figure. She knew what it was like though. Even she'd get distracted by watching Hermione and she'd forget who's around her and the time.

Draco blinked and looked at down at her. "What?" he asked blankly with no expression on his face except for a little smile. Tonight's going to be a night he will remember forever and not just because he got to taste Harry, he got to have his first dance with him, spend time with him alone, give him little kisses and hugs.

Pansy huffed and started walking back towards the Great Hall's exit, leaving them to follow after her. It's starting to get cold anyway. "It's time to head back to the Slytherin common room, you lovestruck man."

Ivy linked her arm with Draco's and led him out of the Great Hall, following Pansy down to the Slytherin common room. "So, Draco, when are you going to ask Harry out?" she asked him with an easy smile as she just wants the promise to be done already. Can't they see it in each other's eyes that they want each other?

Pansy said the Password to the Slytherin Common room and entered without hesitation. Draco didn't know how long it had taken Pansy, Ivy and himself to get down to the dungeons. It felt like it was just a matter of seconds. Draco and Ivy entered the Slytherin common room behind Pansy. 

As soon as Draco entered through to the common room, he'd been getting stares from most of his fellow Slytherins. He ignored his fellow housemates and walked to the other side of the common room where their spot was. He sat down on the table and sighed, looking out into the Black Lake from the large window.

"Well, at least they weren't shouting cruel names at you," Pansy said blankly, staring down at her high heels and decided to take them off. They were starting to hurt anyway, and she doesn't like how crushed her feet feel in them.

"It's not that, it's that any one of them could contact their parents about me dancing with Harry and then forward the message onto my father," Draco said but he wasn't worried about it happening. "I have no idea what my father would think about me dancing with Harry Potter. I mean, I could just say it was a big prank on the school if he owls me about it."

Ivy walked sat down on the table beside him; she didn't want this to feel like it was her fault but deep down she believed it was. Pansy and Draco exchanged looks of worry and sympathy at Ivy, they both knew what she was thinking. That it was her fault.

Pansy sighed at her best friend, sat down beside her, and gave her a big side hug. "Ivy, Honey, it's not your fault," she assured her with a little smile and pressed her cheeks to hers. "Draco chose to go and dance with Harry, you didn't make him. It's the same with me."

Ivy nodded, she could always believe that her friends were right and that she wasn't the cause of the problems. However, she knew that some day's she thought it was her fault and she would start feeling down because of it.

Draco squeezed Ivy's shoulder reassuringly and gave her a big smile. "She's right, you know," he said with a nod. "I chose to go and dance with Harry. And even if you did make me dance with him, I'd be so proud that you did."

Ivy faked a smile for her two best friends, she couldn't possibly give them real smiles because she just couldn't. It was hard. "Thanks, guys!" She said, a little tiredly from the big night. She did get to meet Lavender after all and have a few dances with her. "I'm going to head to bed."

"Alright, have a good night," Pansy said and leaned over to give Ivy a forehead kiss. She always does that whenever she sees Ivy's not doing too well, and when it's nighttime.

Draco wrapped his arms around his cousin in a tight embrace but who he thought about while hugging her was Harry. "Good night, my favourite cousin."

Ivy wrapped her arms around her cousin for a hug, when she felt as if she had enough, she stood up and walked a little towards the entrance to the hallway leading to the dormitories. "Good night, guys," she said and hesitated for a minute, staring at her best friends. With a sigh, she walked her way to the 6th year's girl's dorms.

Draco watched his cousin leave and turned to look at Pansy, worrying about his cousin and what she could get up to alone. "Maybe you should follow her," he suggested she do. "I don't want her using her blades, it's hard to tell if she's okay or not. She's getting much better at masking her depression now."

Pansy nodded, believing that she should do that. She's caught Ivy cutting a few times when alone in the girl's dormitory. "Well, in that case... goodnight, Draco and sweet dreams!" she says with a slow smile. "Also, if you'd like I can tell the Slytherins a good enough lie so they think it was all a prank."

"Thanks, Pansy and please do, you're a great friend," Draco said. He watched his best friend leave the dorm room. He then headed to the bathroom to change into his Pajamas, brush his teeth and jumped back in bed. Merlin, the pillows smelt of Harry. His bed will never feel the same again since it had Harry lay down on it, with a flushed face and a dripping cock covered in semen.

*****

Lucius Malfoy was up in his office in Malfoy Manor, where he normally always is and was reading an owl from one of his Death Eater pals. It was about the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. He took a sip of his blackberry tea and scanned the letter, feeling a rush of many emotions. Apparently, his son, Draco Malfoy had befriended and was dancing with Harry Potter. He smiled to himself wondering why such things would happen at Hogwarts.

He placed a finger to his lip and sighed. "Oh, Draco. What are you up to at Hogwarts?" he asked the letter. He placed the letter down on his desk and walked around to sit in his seat. He began writing a letter in silence but his wife, Narcissa had knocked on his office door. "Come in."

Narcissa walked in, wearing an elegant white and black flowy dress. She sat on the armchair in front of her husband's study desk. "Hello, dear," she said and pushed a lock of hair behind her ears. "How are you doing this fine morning?"

Lucius looked up at his wife with a small smile, seeing her in a lovely long white dress. "I'm doing much better than yesterday, thank you," he says and clasped his hands together over the table. "Is that a new dress? It looks absolutely stunning on you."

Narcissa nodded at his question and feels the heat rise to her cheeks at the compliment. "I brought it a day ago and anyway, someone sent this to us by Owl," she said as she handed her husband the picture. Even from here, she smiled at it. She was just so thrilled that her son would have someone to share the love with. "I find it quite adorable."

Lucius studied the picture and laughed a little, finding it somehow amusing. "So, Draco was dancing with that Potter boy," he said as he studied the background of the picture. "Why yes, it is... adorable as you say." He saw a couple of boys snogging in the background, as well as Pansy Parkinson dancing with a Mudblood. "Does the Parkinson's know their daughter is dancing with that Mudblood?"

Narcissa shook her head. She didn't want to intrude on any possible relationships blooming between couples. "No, I think it is best if we leave that alone as what's important is the image of our son dancing with Harry Potter." She knew her Draco wasn't interested in girls, it's quite obvious when you've been shopping in Muggle London with him for the past years.

"I see," said Lucius, and really doubted the suggestion his wife made. Shouldn't the Parkinson's want an heir for the future though? "So, you are saying we should leave it to Miss Parkinson to tell her parents or for her parents to find out on their own?"

"Yes, dear. Pansy will tell them on her own," said Narcissa, and she tried her best not to chuckle at the picture showing her son and Harry Potter. It was amusing to see. A mother loves seeing her sons or daughters in love. "Now, if you look closely at our son's face you will see the most peculiar thing."

Lucius looked closely at his son in the photo; he definitely saw something he didn't expect. It was the look of love. "Oh, my," he said and rubbed his finger over his bottom lip. He wasn't expecting this at all when Draco came into his life. "It reminds me of how you looked at me when we first met."

Narcissa smiled at her husband with a slight blush to her already rosy cheeks. "Yes, it was the look I gave you," she says and as a strand of hair fell in her eyes, she pushed it back. "May I ask what you ponder if our Draco does have a love interest on Harry Potter?"

Lucius's smile turned into a straight line. It's a question he doesn't know how to answer. "I wouldn't know, if my father ever thought I was gay he would have kicked me out of the mano," he said and rubbed his fingers over his eyebrows with frustration. "I try to raise Draco as a man, even if it means he turns out gay. I don't really know how I should feel. Either I'm angry about it or wish him the best."

Narcissa nodded; she didn't know how her husband would take knowing if Draco was into guys. But she needed to know if her husband would accept their son for who he is. "So, if I am correct, you are implying that you do support our Dragon liking guys?"

"I'm really sorry, Narcissa but I don't think I can support our Dragon," he said impassively, watching the disappointment in his wife's eyes. It hurt him even to say it, but he must. "The only thing I wish would be that Draco will produce an heir, so the Malfoy name does not go extinct."

Narcissa's smile disappeared; she knew Lucius is homophobic but truly thought he would accept his own son for who he is. "Very well," she said and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm disappointed in you, Lucius. I thought you would accept our son as who he is. I'm afraid I was wrong."

Lucius kept a straight face; he very well knew how bad it was to disappoint your own wife, especially being a pureblood and a Malfoy. He gave a heavy sigh, disappointed in himself for letting his own wife down. "I am truly sorry, Narcissa. I-"

Narcissa stood up from the armchair and gave a quick, disgusted snort. She did not believe his apology at all and she disliked how her husband was handling this. Does he not care for our Draco? Does he not want our Dragon to be happy? A million motherly thoughts rushed through her head. "Oh, stop it, Lucius!" she snapped with a harsh squint. "Take a look at the photo, see what your son is doing, how he looks at Harry. Look at them! Don't you see how that boy is making our Dragon feel? It's love! Don't you see? I don't care about your homophobic thoughts, just please look at our son!"

Lucius frowned at his wife's statement and looked at the photo of his son dancing with another man. She was right, Draco does love this Potter boy just by his expression and it was more than just a teenage crush. It was love, love at first sight. Lucius remembered all the times Draco told him about Harry Potter, whether it was when he was jealous, angry, or perhaps something else. He remembered looking into his son's eyes and seeing something far more advanced than hatred, even if Draco wasn't showing it.

He remembered everything his Dragon had told him about Harry Potter, 'Wonderful Potter, with his scar, smile and his broomstick'. How could he be so blind? Draco was masking his true feelings in front of his own father, and possibly his mother. He now knew in between those lines, that there was a boy who masked his true feelings, a boy who found love. Lucius sighed and looked back up at his wife, "Did you know about our son's true feelings for the boy? Did Draco mask his feelings in front of you too or is it just me?"

Narcissa's frown grew a little. Finally, he is starting to see everything now! She nodded at him. "He never wore his mask around me, and I found out about his sexuality one time when we went shopping. I noticed he wasn't staring at all the pretty girls who walked by. He kept his eyes on the men walking the streets, they mostly resemble Harry though. Black hair and glasses. I even caught him staring at a boys' bottom who looked the same age as him." She held back a chuckle. "That is how I knew; you have to spend time with our Dragon to get to know him. He's not our little boy anymore, he's becoming a grown man. By spending time with him, he will start to warm up to you, trust you more," she said with a hint of a smile. She knew how much her Dragon loved Harry; it was just so obvious. Even by the way he writes about him in his letters to her.

Lucius laughed a little softly; of course, spending time with he looked down at the photo, his son did indeed look like he was in love. The way he's staring into Harry Potter's eyes, it was beautiful to see. He then looked back up at his wife. "He is definitely in love. Do you know if they're dating yet?"

"Unfortunately, no," Narcissa said and shook her head. She asked around but none of the other mothers has heard of the two dating. "Although, I would think they both know how the other feels. Harry definitely has the look of love in his own eyes, that is something." She then hesitates and looks down at her nails. "So, what are you going to do about this? Will you support our Dragon no matter what gender he dates?"

Lucius looked back down at the photo, watching the way his son looks into the other boy's eyes as they danced. It was just like his and Narcissa's wedding, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. "I'm still not too sure but I do want our son to be happy. What do you think I should do?"

Narcissa frowned; how does he still not accept their Draco? And it's an easy answer to what he should do. "I believe you should decide on your own," she told him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Perhaps ask Dumbledore to let him come over with Harry for the holiday. Or even write our Draco a letter, telling him that we know about his feelings towards Harry, the befriending, and the Yule Ball."

Lucius considered this for a moment; they both sound like good enough options but the letter would be the easiest. He clasped his hands together and sighed. "Perhaps a letter to Draco will be enough," he said and decided to take a sip of his hot tea to soothe his anxiety. "But I can't help but ask how I can write the letter?"

Narcissa nodded; thinking of how her husband should write the letter, but it is obvious how it should sound, happy and accepting. "You should sound like yourself, not what your father or grandfather would sound or say. The most important question is do you accept our boy to like men?"

Lucius sighed. He still doesn't know. All he wants in his future is a grandson or granddaughter to keep the Malfoy name going. "I still don't-"

"Oh, don't give me that!" Narcissa snapped and she wrinkled her nose at her husband's grimace. "If you really want our son to be happy then accept him for who he is, not how your father would. Lucius, you are not your father! You can still raise our son to be the best man he could ever be! Let him grow on you, show you really care for him! All this Malfoy Mask junk you use is silly and you make him afraid! Don't you know that!? He would probably think if you ever found out he was gay, that you'd disown him or even kill him."

Lucius was lost for words; his intention was to never make his only son feel scared of him. That was what shed a tear from his eye, knowing that he is the one that acts like an abusive fool in front of his son. He angrily wiped the tear away from his face muttering, "Malfoy's don't cry."

Narcissa sighed at her husband, seeing the tear fall down his face from the confusion, and the anger. "Do you finally understand what you are doing to our son?" she asked him bitterly. "Who cares if you cry or not? It's normal. I cry every night, you know why?" She saw her husband open his mouth but close it, knowing he did not know anything.

"No, of course, you don't," she continued on, shaking her head. "I cry because of the fear that the Dark Lord will rise again. What happens if he does? Will we all die? Nobody knows. What will happen to our family? We all know The Dark Lord will be out for Harry Potter." She turned away from him, and held her elbows in her hands, staring at a little family portrait on top of the mangle of the office's stone fireplace. "What happens if our son and Harry have a loving relationship!? You and I damn well know what will happen if The Dark Lord finds out. It will end in heartbreak, sorrow, and loss. Do you know what it would be like to lose someone you love?! No, you don't!"

Lucius was still at a loss of words. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't say anything. Narcissa was right, he had been a bad father. How could he not know his own wife cried at night? He frowned at the thought of Draco losing Potter in a war if he did die, the broken look on his son's face would crush his own heart. "I know, I will soon come to accept our son as gay. It may take a while, but I will accept him. Although, I do feel as if we should Pensieve this memory of now and create a fake one in case our friends use their legilimens on us. We can't risk losing our Dragon, nor his love."

Narcissa nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. She walked over to the black locked cabinet to the other side of her and pressed her wand at the keyhole. The keyhole shook and the cabinet opened and there stood a Pensieve. "I think that's is a good idea. In fact, let's start the letter together."

Lucius nodded and searched his drawers for a piece of parchment. Finally, he found a white envelope with a nice sheet of fine paper inside. "Can I possibly get a little help with this letter?" he asked her carefully. "I don't want my letter to sound anything but accepting." Narcissa nodded and walked around the desk to his chair.

Lucius started writing the letter with his wife's help to make it sound accepting to his son's sexuality. When he was done, he folded the paper, placed it in its envelope and ink stamped it. He then walked over to his son's eagle owl and attached it to its feet.

"Wait, don't forget his sweets!" Narcissa said as she walked to the door and out of the room in search of some sweets to give her son.

Lucius sighed and waited until his wife got back. He continued to drink his tea and stare at the picture. It really was beautiful, the way both boys looked into each other's eyes. It brought tears of joy into his eyes, he let them fall down. "I am not like you, father," he muttered as he closed his eyes. "I won't ever be like you. How dare you raise me like this."

Narcissa came back into the room with a box of candies. She walked over to the owl and attached the box to its feet and let it fly. She and her husband watched as their son's eagle owl fly into the sky to travel to Hogwarts.

Lucius wiped away the tears, got up from his chair and walked over to the Pensieve. "Thank you, Narcissa," he said softly and felt daft to even cry at all. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Narcissa just kissed her husband on the cheek and headed down to her bedroom. When she entered, she walked up to her desk, grabbed a red envelope, and started writing her own letter to her son.

_Dear Draco, ___

___If you have already read your father's letter, then know that it is true of what he speaks. After many hours of explaining to your father that you're happy to like the same gender, he has come to try to accept it. Don't think he'll just accept it like you can click a finger, no. It'll take some time due to the fact that his father was an abusive man and has grown to believe his own father was right about things. Much like you, but I'm sure you've come to realize that your father has been wrong many times. Malfoy's do cry, I just saw your father do so. Now, I'd like to know more about this crush you have on Harry Potter. Don't deny it, a mother knows everything. I know of your sexuality. Have you and Harry started a romantic relationship yet? I can tell when you look in his eyes, it's the look of love. Someone at the Yule Ball has taken a photo of you dancing with Harry and I find that beautiful. The way you look in his eyes, the way he looks back. It's love. When will I be expecting him over? The holidays? The weekend? When? You shouldn't worry about the photo; it has only been Owled to us Malfoys and I know your father's friends will believe it's a prank. Take care, my Dragon. I love you to the moon and back! ____ _

_____Sincerely, ____ _ _ _

_______Your mother, Narcissa Malfoy :) ____ _ _ _ _ _

________Narcissa smiled at the little smiley face she put on the letter; she's never done it before but likes it. It gives off a positive vibe, especially when reading it. She put the letter in its envelope and sealed it. She walked over to her brown owl, which reminds her a lot of her own sister Andromeda. She tied the envelope to the owl's feet and let it go out the arched window._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________*****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry woke up with a smile on his face. It's been ages since that happened. He couldn't help but smile because what happened at the Yule Ball, dancing with Draco felt like a dream. Could it have been? Harry didn't know, he'd just have to ask Hermione about it. He got dressed ready for the day ahead of him and quickly put on his school robe and entered the boy's bathroom. He looked at his hair and smiled at how messy it was again. After doing his teeth and trying to comb his hair he headed down to the Great Hall behind Seamus and Dean._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry entered the Great Hall and he sat down next to Hermione and Ron at the Gryffindor table, smiling to himself he picked up a piece of toast, spread some Strawberry jam on it and began eating. At least he was still eating. That's something. "Hermione, was last night a dream?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hermione smiled cheekily, remembering everything that happened last night with Harry staring lovingly at Malfoy as they danced and even kissed. "Yes, Harry. The Yule Ball totally didn't happen last night," she said sarcastically with a smirk and gave his shoulder a little pat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry let out a little chuckle at Hermione's sarcasm. He knew the Yule Ball wasn't a dream as everything from last night felt so real. The kisses, the dancing, the blowjobs. God, that was an amazing time in bed with Draco. He just felt so alive then, and having that perfect mouth of Draco's on his... He shook his head to remove the memory from his thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hermione gave Harry a curious smile. "So, do you want to talk more about that dance?" she asked him suddenly. She looked over at the Slytherin table, seeing Pansy stare back at her. She remembered how beautiful she looked in that red dress of hers. Smiling at the Slytherin girl, she looked back at her best friend while feeling heat rise up from her neck to her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry blushed, remembering the whole night from the dancing, the in-bed experience and everything else. Those muggle songs that played during the night truly sank into his heart. They held such powerful lyrics and messages. "Uhm... No, I'm good," he finally said. He didn't want to share any sexual memories of him and Draco to her. "I'd like it to keep it between me and Draco."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hermione nodded at him and she looked back over at the Slytherin table at a certain girl named Pansy. But then she caught Draco Malfoy staring at Harry, she smiled at him knowingly and leaned closer to Harry. "Your boyfriend's been staring at you for the last minute or more," she whispered to him. She saw the rosiness of her best friend's cheeks become a little bit redder, she knew he was blushing. She so wanted to see her favourite ship snogging in the middle of the Great Hall, just like she'd so want her best friend to be happy with that man he's been crushing on for so long. "Why don't you go sit with him?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I can't just go over there and sit with him, Hermione," Harry says at her impossible answer. He doesn't want to get pushed away from the table in front of everyone. "I'll sure to be stared at by the rest of the Slytherin's and possibly kicked away from the table. Who knows what they'll do to me?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"You don't know unless you go over there and see for yourself," Hermione tells him seriously, squinting her eyes and giving him a hard smile. "Just go, Harry. Maybe the Slytherin's would all enjoy your company, or I hope they would."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Then there was a familiar ruffle of feathers that came into the Great Hall and that could only mean the mail was here. Harry watched as hundreds of owls came flying into the Great Hall. His eye caught a familiar eagle owl soaring towards Draco, he didn't even recognize Hedwig coming into the Great Hall and landing near his toast. It was strange to him to see owls come in and delivering a chestnut package in the size of a thin rectangular prism to nearly every 4th-year student and up. But Draco and a few other older students it seemed had also been delivered a second package but with darker material._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry watched as Draco opened the packages and peeked inside at whatever was in the little boxes shaped package. Then the Slytherin smiled, making Harry nearly melt in his chair. The other things Draco seemed to get was a basket full of sweets and an envelope. Draco opened the envelope and just stared at the letter, not even reading it. Harry could see the worry and panic on Draco's face as he stared at the envelope, it wasn't until Hedwig bit him on the ear that he came out of the trance he was in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry grimaced and fed Hedwig a bit of his toast. "Sorry, Hedwig," he said and distracted himself again by looking at the package Hermione got from a school owl. He sighed and patted his owl. "I just had my eyes on someone." He then noticed he has his own letter and package, so he untied the letter and put it in his pocket. He didn't want to read it now; it could be a letter from Sirius. It was never safe reading a letter in the Great Hall, you wouldn't know if someone was watching over you and reading it themselves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hermione tried to hold down a chuckle, so she filled her mouth with pumpkin juice. She just wanted to reply with, That's true! But it was true. She looked through her package and smiled at the items she had taken from the Yule Ball._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry looked down at his package and opened it. Inside he saw a stack of photos taken from the Yule Ball that include him, Hermione, and Ron. It wasn't just his Gryffindor friends though as there were photos of Draco, Ivy, Pansy, and Blaise too. He searched through the pictures and finds the section where it was just him and Draco. He picked one up and showed it to Hermione._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hermione just smiles at the picture Harry's showing her. It was Harry with his arms around Draco while Draco's kissing him on the cheek. "It's beautiful, Harry," she spoke in a soft tone and she laid a hand over her cheeks. "You deserve each other."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry puts the picture back inside the package and looks through the other photos of him and Draco. He then hears Hermione giggling and looks at what she's giggling at. It was a picture of Hermione holding Pansy around the waist while Pansy kisses her cheek. He smiles at the picture and looks beside him at Ron's who's sitting beside Seamus. He just sees a few pictures of Ron and Blaise posing for the camera in cool ways._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig bit Harry on the cheek, trying to get a reaction and attention from him. All she wants is attention from her owner, so she doesn't feel ignored. Hermione watched the owl with a smirk as she was enjoying this a lot. She feels sorry for Hedwig though. She's not getting any attention from Harry at all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry felt the familiar bite from his owl on his cheek and he hissed a little. It actually hurt instead of a nipping that she usually does. "Hey," he snaps at her quietly just so he doesn't gain the attention of others around him. "That's where he's been kissing me!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig made a squeak of interest, wanting to hear more about this 'he'. Harry rolled his eyes at his owl; he'd forgotten owls could sort of see what you were thinking. "It was Draco Malfoy who kissed me," he whispered to his owl. He sighed at her disbelieving look. "Oh, for heavens sakes. He's my boyfriend, Hedwig."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig hooted and flew over to the Slytherin table. "No, Hedwig!" Harry whispered but also shouted a little just to get her attention. "Come back!" But it was too late. She never did come back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco was just eating his apricot jammed toast in peace and kept staring over at Harry whenever his boyfriend wasn't looking. Just remembering dancing with him, and the kisses, the loving gestures, and the incredible time in his own bed made him feel so warm inside. He really wanted to dance with Harry again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco unwrapped the white envelope with a black stamp wax with the familiar letter 'M' on the middle and the packet of sweets. He already viewed the pictures from the Yule Ball he had, and he wanted to send the ones of himself and Harry to his mother with a letter saying that he's with Harry romantically. He didn't want to read the letter he was Owled now; he would wait further in the day. All he could think was that it was from his father. He sighed, stared at the letter, and opened the packet of sweets he was given._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He then heard another owl come in; it was a brown fluffy owl. Draco could recognize it from anywhere, it was from his mother. He watched as the owl soared down and landed just like his own owl did. He noticed it was another letter, he untied the red envelope from the owl's legs and placed it in his robe pocket with the other envelope from his father._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco heard a hoot coming from the Gryffindor table and heard a ruffle of feathers from in front of him. Before he knew it, a snowy owl had dropped down next to his own eagle owl and was rubbing against it. Some Slytherins on the table started snickering at the owls, knowing what they were doing. Draco felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment; his own owl was shagging Harry's owl. It kind of reminded him of the fun he and Harry had on his bed yesterday evening. Draco lost his appetite and tried to break the owls apart. When he successfully did so, he carried the snowy owl named Hedwig on his arm and walked over to Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Harry?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry put his head in his arms on the table, he wished Hedwig could stop being so mischievous and embarrassing at times. He didn't even realize someone said his name until he felt a tap on his shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco Malfoy stood behind Harry with Hedwig on his arm and was smiling at the owl and then to Harry. "Harry, I think your owl and my owl are in some secret relationship," he said and gave Harry a wink, knowing nobody knew about his secret relationship with Harry. He then felt a flush spread across his face as he says, "They did something on the Slytherin table... it was hard to watch..."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry tried not to snort. Did he mean... did they shag on the Slytherin table? Harry looked at his owl, all feathered up and happy. He looked up at Draco, the embarrassment in the blonde's cheeks made him look very cute. He forgot he was staring again. "Um... sorry about that," he says, his chin trembles a little and his ears turn red. "Hedwig doesn't usually... Um..." He was lost for words. He didn't know what to say, it was quite embarrassing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig hooted happily and fluttered her wings._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco kept the smile on his face and pretended he didn't hear the owl on his arm. He placed Harry's owl down on the Gryffindor table next to Harry and sneakily tilted his head to the side to give Harry a kiss on the forehead. The gesture made Harry part his lips and stare up at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"So... err," Draco says quietly, and he leans away from Harry. "I'll go back to the Slytherins like none of that happened with your owl and mine." He hesitated and shook his head. He wasn't hungry anymore. "I'm just going to skip breakfast; I don't think I have the stomach to eat anything anymore for a while. Bye, Harry!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry nodded at him. Even he was sure he couldn't eat anything until dinner. "Bye, Draco!" he said and watched the Blonde Slytherin exit the Great Hall. He then turned back to his owl, giving her a stern and unimpressed look, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Hedwig. I don't want little owl babies in my dorm room keeping me up all night."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig hooted guiltily. She pecked Harry on the ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry felt an inch of pain and rubbed his ear where his own owl bit him. His owl has become more peckish lately since the start of the year. He doesn't understand why. "Oww!" he hissed again. "What the bloody hell was that for?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig gave Harry a look. A look which Harry never thought an owl could give someone. Harry sighed and shook his head at his owl. "I'll tell you some other time, Hedwig. Just not in hear when people can hear me."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Hedwig gave Harry a peck of Sympathy. Harry smiled at his owl and looked over to where Draco exited the Grand Hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________*****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco had just exited the Grant Hall and headed down to the Slytherin common room. He believed nobody would be there except for his cousin, Ivy Black. He said the password and watched as a secret entrance formed. It turns out, he was right. Ivy came running up to Draco and engulfed him in a big hug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Draco!" Ivy said, tightening the hug with her cousin. She smiled as she knew she wasn't alone in the common room anymore. It does get quite lonely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco hugged his cousin back. "Hello, Ivy," he said and gradually became a little worried. She never just runs up to him or Pansy for a hug. She's shy when it comes to attention. "You don't normally hug me. Is there anything wrong?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy shook her head and ended the hug quickly. She just felt high. "Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?" she spoke quite quickly. "No, nothing is wrong. Well, of course, there is my depressing life but everything else is okay. Oh, also I kind of drank a quarter of a bottle of muggle cough syrup so it's why I'm a little over the top. Ahahah. And earlier I took a few Motion Sickness Pills. Why did you leave breakfast early?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco sighed; he hated when Ivy talked about her life like that, regarding it as 'depressing' though he knew it was true. And what the hell is couch syrup? He knows of the potion which stops coughs but nothing that's syrup. And Motion Sickness Pills? He's just confused. "I left breakfast early because I retrieved letters from my parents."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy nodded quickly; knowing Draco would rather read his letters on his own. She let out a few random giggles and pointed to places in the common room like she knew and had just walked in. "I feel like a pickle torpedo... In a sea of graham cracker crumbs."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco raises an eyebrow at her, not understanding her at all. What does she mean? He decided to let her talk nonsense to him as he doesn't know what to say. A few minutes go by and he sees the familiar 'Can I read them too?' look on Ivy's face and let out a soft chuckle. "You know you can read them with me if you'd like,'. I don't mind at all."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy's eyes widened and she grinned and jumped up with a fist pumped up into the air. "Really?" she asked him. Her eyes were a little blurry. When she notices the nod from her cousin, she gets even more excited. "Yay! But are you suuuuuure it's okay?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco nodded and walked towards where their spot was. "I'd like to not be near anyone except you when reading these, so we'll be here," he tells her and makes her sit down in the chair at the table at the back of the common room. "Stay here while I get some paper and my quill."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy gave a quick nod and just looks down at the table with a grin. She starts humming 'Worthless' by Eli and giggles every time as a fish swims by from the large windows looking out into the Black Lake. "I want to go pet-petting," she says to the table with a pout._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco returned quickly enough to hear what she says, and he snorts. Pet-petting's a thing? Unless she means pet-sitting. "Which should I read first?" he then asks and sits down next to her, placing the letters on the table in front of them. "My father's or mother's?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I believe you should read your father's first, Drakey," Ivy says and she giggles again while poking him on the arm repeatedly. "Do your fathers! Father! Father!" She raises her arms up like she's hugging the air, and she sighs. "The dogs are yodelling!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Shall I read it out loud or read it myself than give it to you?" he asked while grabbing the envelope that is from his father and ripping it open. He didn't care about how elegant the material was. He was pretty much chuckling at everything Ivy said that's not normal. Dogs can't yodel, right?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy looked around the common room, there was nobody in sight. "Just read it and then hand it over to me," she says a little too loudly and Draco's glad there isn't anyone in the common room to see his cousin like this. "Don't worry, Draco. When I'm in charge you can still be the deputy of fire truck planet!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Draco nodded slowly at her, confused about what a fire truck is. Is it a muggle truck that's on fire? Interesting... He then looked down at the letter. "Sure, I'll be the deputy, whatever that means, to Fire Truck land if you want."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ivy giggled again and clapped her hands together quickly. She was blinking rapidly down at the letters to focus on them. She gestured Draco to read the letter with a shaky hand. Draco stared at the first letter of the line 'Draco' and began reading._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Draco, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________It has come to my understanding that you have befriended that Potter boy. I hope you know that I'm not mad at you. I am indeed very proud of you, son. I hope we can use Potter to our advantage, even if I do want to get to know him. Although, I'm sure I probably know Potter more than he knows himself thanks to you and you're blabbering about him since your first year. 'Oh, Harry Potter with his wonderful smile, scar and his broomstick. He's so good at Quidditch, I don't know why he never took my hand in friendship.' My son, I could go on and on because of what you've said about the boy for years. It even sounds to me that you've really wanted to be friends with him for a while, or even more. ;) I'm only joking, son. On another note, I have received information that you've even danced with the boy at the ball. What do I have to say about that? I didn't believe it at first, but when I heard of it from one of your friends' fathers, I knew it had to be real. I have to admit, I cracked up in laughter. As far as you know, I am homophobic, but I will try my best to grow into accepting your sexuality. I would love to hear from you soon! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Sincerely, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________LM ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Draco sighed in relief; it wasn't that bad of a letter. He felt a bit awkward that father had mentioned what he had said in the past about Harry, or even that he liked Harry. What Draco knew, was that this didn't sound like his father at all. Thankfully, his father didn't know about his crush on Harry, he wouldn't even know what father would do to him if he found out. But that was what he thought. He then gave the letter to Ivy and watched as she read._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Ivy scanned the letter with bulging eyes, reading very carefully on what was said in the letter. She couldn't help herself but give a little smile. "Well, it seems like your father knows of your befriending with Harry, your sexuality, the dance as well as your crush on Harry. He even remembers the most used line you ever used, 'Wonderful Harry Potter, with his scar, smile and broomstick'," she giggled and placed the letter aside with a slap of her palm on the wooden table. It didn't even hurt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"Oh, shut up!" Draco said and felt heat rise to his cheeks when remembering saying those lines to his father when he was younger. It seems like he's father's going to torment him about it now, but he really doesn't mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"At least there's an advantage to what your father has written," Ivy then says, and she hunches over, placing her chin on the letter and reads it from that position. "He will try his best to accept you, even if it takes days, weeks, months or even years."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Draco nodded and grabbed the letter from his mother and opened the envelope. "Well, here's my mother's letter," he said softly and then he hears Ivy's giggling again. He rolled his eyes at her continuous giggling and started reading his mother's letter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________Dear Draco, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________If you have already read your father's letter, then know that it is true of what he speaks. After many hours of explaining to your father that you're happy to like the same gender, he has come to try to accept it. Don't think he'll just accept it like you can click a finger, no. It'll take some time due to the fact that his father was a bad man and has grown to believe his own father was right about things. Much like you, but I'm sure you've come to realize that your father has been wrong many times. Malfoy's do cry, I just saw your father do so. Malfoy's do blush, it's normal too. Now, I'd like to know more about this crush you have on Harry Potter. Don't deny it, a mother knows everything. I know of your sexuality. Have you and Harry started a romantic relationship yet? I can tell when you look in his eyes, it's the look of love. Someone at the Yule Ball has taken a photo of you dancing with Harry, I find that beautiful. The way you look in his eyes, the way he looks back. It's love. When will I be expecting him over? The holidays? The weekend? When? You shouldn't worry about the photo; it has only been mailed to us Malfoys and I know your father's friends will believe it's a prank. Take care, my Dragon. I love you to the moon and back! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________Sincerely, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________Your mother Narcissa Malfoy :) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Draco smiled at the letter and handed it over to Ivy. He always loves it when she has a smiley face at the end of her letter. It makes him feel less stressed about whatever bad news she could have been telling him through the letter. "Love you too, mother," he said to the letter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Ivy giggled when seeing her cousin talk to the letter like it's his mom. "The letter's not your mom, silly!" She read over the letter and her smile grew wider at everything Narcissa wrote. "Your mother is right, you know. The way you looked at Harry at the Yule Ball, it was adorable. In fact, when will you start dating Harry? Even your mother knows you really like him"._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________She was the one who sent Narcissa the photo. She just had to do it earlier this morning when everyone was still asleep. "If drunk was a fruit, I'd be a pomegranate," she says and immediately cracks Draco up in laughter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________When he finished laughing, he looked beside him at Ivy who was slowly lowering her head to the table and nodding off int sleep. He smiled and grabbed the sheet of paper from in front of him and his eagle owl quill and thought about how to write a letter to both of his parents._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________Father, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________I am grateful that you're beginning to accept me for who I am, as well as accepting the fact that I have befriended Harry Potter. When talking about everything I've told you about Harry Potter in the past, can you please not remind me of it? I already have enough space in my head for Ivy and Pansy to annoy me about it. I don't think I have enough room for another person. By the way, what do you mean use Harry for your advantage? I swear to Merlin, if you do anything to him, I'll hunt you down - even though I'm stuck at Hogwarts. Of course, I've been wanting to be Harry's friend since the first year, who doesn't? I just thought that because I was a Malfoy, that I could get anything I wanted. But no, I couldn't get the friendship of Harry Potter. What I really need to know is do you know of my love towards a certain Harry Potter? Yes, I love him. I have done for a year. 'I would love to hear from you soon'??? Who are you and what have you done with my father?! And what's with the winky face??? Thanks for the sweets! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________Sincerely, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________Draco Malfoy ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Draco sighed and re-read over the letter, making sure it makes sense and that there are no errors in it. He then folded it in half and used the other side of the paper to write to his mother._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________My dearest mother, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________Thank you for letting me know that the letter father sent wasn't a trick or anything. Sure, why not. Let's talk about my crush on Harry Potter. By the way, Harry and I are already dating. I asked him out on Christmas day and had our first date two days after Christmas. It was a wonderful time that I spent with him and I'm hoping there will be more dates to come. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________I'm glad you can see how I look at Harry. I don't know if we're allowed to come over during the weekend, I'll just have to ask one of my professors. If there is a chance that he comes over, whenever that'll be, please don't humiliate me in front of him! Thank you for the sweets! I love you too, mother. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________Sincerely, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________Draco Malfoy ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________P.s. Can you please adopt Ivy as your own daughter? She's so sad and I want to help her mental health as much as I can. Do you know how much she suffers at her house? It's so inhuman. Please at least think about it, I don't want her going back to that monstrous mother. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________With a sigh, Draco used a simple cutting spell and cut the paper in half. He folded the letters up, summoned an envelope and sealed the letter in it. "Well, I'm off to send these letters. Want to come with?" He looks to his side at Ivy who was fast asleep with her arms crossed over the table and he smiles. He got the answer he needed then. He headed out of the common room and up to the owlery._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________When Draco exited the castle, he could feel the cool morning breeze on his skin and quickly made his way into the Owlery. He could smell the stench of the owl droppings as he walked in, but he ignored the smell and walked over to his own owl. "Hello, Ulysses. I'm not going to ask how your morning was due to the fact that you and Harry's owl shagged in front of me. You are weird, you know, that right?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________Ulysses hooted and fluffed up his feathers in front of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________Draco smirked and petted his owl. He looked around the owlery tower to see if he was alone. He was indeed alone. He attached the two letters to Ulysses' feet. "Please send these letters to mother and father. Deliver mother's first, than fathers."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________Ulysses nodded and flew off into the sky with a hoot. Draco watched his owl fly away and smiled. He then headed back up into the castle to the Slytherins common room and back to a sleeping Ivy Black._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________*****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________Harry was up in his dormitory; he couldn't forget what his own owl had done. Hedwig embarrassed him. How and why did she do that? Harry had no idea. What kept him from that thought for the rest of the morning was the letter he got from Sirius. Harry opened the envelope and began reading the letter, feeling some feathers being ruffled up beside him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________Harry, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________________Sorry for the late reply yet again. I have heard that you and Draco have made a truce? Apparently, you have danced with Draco at the Yule Ball as well? I'm proud of you, finally seeing sense and slowly deepening the relationship. I managed to find a photo that someone took at the Yule Ball of you and Draco dancing together. Merlin's Beard! The look in both of your eyes, it's beautiful! It reminds me of how Lily looked at James when they first danced together, love in their eyes. Just like you and Draco. Just like how I looked at Remus and how he looked back at me. *sigh* And yes, I did sigh in this letter. Sorry to mention your parents, by the way, I know how it makes you feel. If you want, I can duplicate the photo again and send it to you. I mean, I'd send my one I have but I want to keep it because it's adorable. Hopefully, I'll get more photo's like this one and make an album for you two. ;) Wait... Draco Malfoy actually kissed you? Merlin's Beard! Forehead kisses could mean anything, Harry. But it's mainly what couples do. Love to hear from you soon! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________Sirius ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________________Harry smiled at the letter; Sirius knows about the Yule Ball and the Truce? Who told him about it? Harry chuckled at the thought of Sirius having a whole album of photos of him and Draco together, he wished it could actually happen though. Harry searched around the dormitory for a spare piece of paper. Luckily, he found one in one of the drawers in a cupboard next to Neville's bed. He grabbed it and sat back down in his bed with his quill and started writing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________Dear Sirius, ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________________Yes, Draco and I have made a truce, that was so long ago, like at the start of the year and yes, we danced together at the Yule Ball. I was waiting for Draco to ask me to the Yule ball all week but that never happened, so I asked Fred Weasley. Oh, and Fred made me ask Draco to the Yule Ball when I asked him. Unfortunately, Draco was going with Pansy Parkinson, his best friend. They just went as friends though. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________________________I remember exactly how Draco and I started dancing. He was the one who came up and asked me to dance. It was adorable. I remember the first song they played, it was a muggle song, and it was perfect. I forgot to tell you... Draco and I are officially a couple! Draco actually asked me out on Christmas Day, and we went on our first date two days after Christmas. Merlin, it was so amazing! Oh, and we took plenty of pictures with the photographers. I've got lots to show you. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________________Can I actually talk to you about masculine things? I can't believe I'm about to say this but... Draco and I have officially done something sexual with each other. Let's say he and I were making out on his bed down in the Slytherin 4th year boy's dormitory with the drapes shut around us, and he started rubbing his knee on my... He was on top of me, just to let you know. I ended up releasing in my pants, and I didn't know how I was going to clean myself up. Then Draco asked me if he could clean me up in his way and if I would let him touch me. I let him and he... I don't know the most appropriate way to say this so I'm going to say he sucked me off until I was clean from... you know. It actually was an incredible feeling and experience. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________________Anyway, do you know that you apparently have a daughter? Her name is Ivy Black. She has the same Black curly hair as you with blue eyes. She's really nice, she lives with her mother Willow LeStrange. But she is struggling with things right now that damage her mental health. Did you ever know she existed? Can't wait to hear back from you. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________________________Harry ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________________________Harry put the letter in the envelope and sealed it shut, he gave it to Hedwig and watched as she flew out the window into the bright blue sky. He hoped Sirius wouldn't be mad at him in some way like telling him what went down in Draco's bed last night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	14. Coming Out

Harry woke up with a yawn and grabbed his glasses from his bedside table and slid them up to his nose, watching as everything became clear. He opened the curtains to his 4-poster bed, seeing as his roommates were all asleep still. He decided to just lay there, reading the book Hermione gave him named 'The Hunger Games'. A few 30 minutes later he heard his roommates stir as they wake up, hearing yawns and shuffles along the floor. So, he quickly got up, out of bed, ignoring everyone as he was still sleepy and got dressed in his school clothes.

He couldn't get the amazing memories of the Yule Ball out of his head, especially the fun he had with Draco on that evening. That charming smile that could light up a whole town, gorgeous glimmering silver eyes that remind him of stars and the moon, soft lips that he could kiss forever if breathing didn't exist, soft silky whitish blonde hair which reminds him of the soft fur of kittens, nice round ass...

"Mate," said Ron from his bed on the other side of the common room, and Harry hesitantly looked up at him. He's been glancing at Harry every so often when getting dressed and noticed he has just been staring at a particular spot on the bed. "Why are you up so late?"

Harry decided to shrug. "I just got up," he said and didn't even feel bad for the lie he told Ron. He just couldn't be bothered telling his mate what he's really been doing which was reading. It helps pass the time and he likes imagining himself in the books he reads that are fiction and imaginative.

"Well, C'mon," Ron said, and his jaw clenched a little with impatience. He just wanted to get to the Great Hall so he can eat but he wants to travel there with his mate. "We need to go to breakfast. I'm starving."

Harry let out a snort, knowing too well his best mate would be hungry. Hungry is like an emotion to Ron. It's a mood that he always is in. "That's an understatement, Ron," he said and gave him a smirk. "You're always hungry."

Ron shrugged with a smile and headed for the door but faced Harry when doing so. "Let's just go, Harry," he said and opened the door, feeling the cool air from the common room flow into the room. "Apparently, the house-elves have made bagels, omelette and croissants."

Harry nodded and followed Ron out of the dorm room and into the common room. From there, they were walking their way down to the Great Hall. They were in a corridor, it was only a few more minutes until they reached the Grand Hall.

"Hey, Ron?" Harry suddenly said and scratched the back of his neck. He still had to ask Ron if he accepts him for liking guys. For liking Draco. He knows Ron said it's disgusting a day or two ago, but he wants to know if Ron will accept him. "What is your opinion on..." He stops there. What if Ron hates homosexuality? It can't be that bad. Hermione was okay with it. "Homosexuality..."

Ron stopped walking; he was deep in thought, thinking about what he should say. He's been feeling rather jealous of Harry and Draco, even if he knew those two weren't dating. They looked to be in love though, the way they look into each other's eyes is truly amazing. The fact that he had nearly caught Harry and Draco snogging on Christmas day really got to him, it made him realize that you can like anybody no matter what their gender is. He couldn't just tell his best mate that he was jealous. He turned towards Harry, looking like he just ate a bad tasting 'Bertie Botts Every Flavored Bean' and said, "What, Poofs and Lesbians?"

"Uh, yeah," Harry said, looking down at the ground. He didn't speak up for himself. That was it. That's when he felt his mental walls go back up, sealing anybody out from his mind that could try and find their way in. He tried scratching at his arms, hoping the gesture would be wearing off the spell he used on the morning of the Yule Ball. It really was not helping, the scratching. He hasn't cut since before Christmas and that was only a couple of days ago.

"Honestly, mate, it's so unnatural," said Ron, and he wrinkled his nose with disgust. He hated himself for saying this, especially to his mate who he knows likes guys. He's seen Harry kiss Malfoy. If that doesn't scream gay, then what will? "Just the thought of it makes me want to vomit. It's all freakish and all. I don't know who the first poof in this world was, but they managed to carry the disease with them."

Harry couldn't take it no more, and Ron was practically calling him a freak. He dug his nails into his skin, hoping the pain in his arms would stop him from feeling negative, worthless, and a freak at Ron's rude comment. But really, it wasn't helping at all. It disappointed him that Ron would say such rude things about him. About Draco, and Ivy. "Hey, we gay-," He said but stopped himself from saying anything else. He hoped Ron didn't pick up on what he was saying. He knows this is going to end badly.

"You're a poof, then?" Ron asked him reluctantly, and his eyebrows lowered and pinched together. He really hated doing this to Harry, it hurt like hell! He hoped he was doing the right thing. He just didn't want his mate knowing how jealous he was.

Ouch. That just hurt. "Ron, I really thought you would accept me as who I am," Harry said in a flat voice and he stared distantly ahead of him. This was saddening. It hurt, and Harry just wanted to run off to Myrtle's bathroom so he can cut. He just wants to go back to sleep and just... sleep, the entire day or even better, the entire week.

"Well, I'm sorry that I grew up thinking that homosexuality is bad," said Ron, giving him a pained expression full of regret but he hid it by looking down the corridor. "Truthfully, it is unnatural." He took a step back from Harry, thinking and pretending it's contagious.

"Ron, I'm still the same person I was yesterday," Harry said dejectedly, and he felt the tears start forming in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away. "You just didn't know until now." He really needed to get away. He had the urge to cut deep. He just wanted to go someplace alone where nobody could find him so he can bleed out his emotions.

Before Ron could say anything, Hermione came out of nowhere with her 'S.P.E. W.' badge formally presented on her robe. "What are you two on about now?" she asked her friends who seemed to be bickering.

Harry gave a fake smile at her while Ron turned to Hermione and said, "So Hermione, what's your opinion on homosexuality?" He gave a glance towards Harry, feeling as he knew what Hermione was about to say.

Harry didn't look at his two friends. He couldn't be bothered to. If he made a run for it now, he will be sure to escape and not see them for the entire day except classes. Oh, classes. He forgot about that.

"My opinion on homosexuality is that Love is Love, whether you like the same gender or not," said Hermione with a smile. She's glad they're talking about this topic. It needs to be discussed more often. "You should be happy." Harry's still felt like shit. He had just been called a poof and disgusting again by Ron.

Ron scowled a bit. He knew he would have been wrong about Hermione's statement. She's always 'for' than 'against' something. She's always got good opinions though. "Yeah, well... Harry's gay," he said with a sneer.

"So?" Hermione asked him and frowned at his disgraceful attitude towards Harry and homosexuality. She then turned to look at Harry with a bright smile, completely ignoring her red-headed friend. "Congratulations, Harry," she said as she walked up to Harry to give him a big hug while glaring at Ron. She just had to seem that she didn't know of Harry's relationship with Malfoy. "I'm so proud you finally came out to us. I always knew you were gay, it's quite obvious." She let go of the hug and smiled at Harry. "Besides, I may have a crush on a certain girl as well."

Harry smiled back at her, knowing he could trust her with this secret. But of course, it wasn't a real smile that would reach his eyes. He just felt too depressed to actually smile. Why must his life be like this? Yet again, he had a really great end of the week starting at Christmas and ending at the Yule Ball. Now it's all ruined all because of Ron.

"Not you too!" Ron snapped at her in disbelief. He remembers seeing Hermione dancing with Pansy Parkinson and they seemed to have a really good time. The pictures the two girls took together were sweet too. Parkinson had kissed Hermione's cheek more than once on that night.

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped back at him but in a warning tone and she crossed her arms over her chest. She just couldn't believe Ron right now and how rude he was being. "Don't get pissed at us for being ourselves. We're still the same people as we were yesterday, and the day before."

"Well, it doesn't seem like it anymore," Ron said, his eyes were cold, same as the bitter smile he flashed at them. He huffed and decided to make an exit and walk off by himself to the Great Hall. He wondered what Fred, Ginny, and George would think of this.

"Well, that went well," Harry said and he was rather sad about how it ended. Where has his best mate gone to? Is he stuck in that mind of his somewhere? He still couldn't believe that Ron would say such mean things to him. About him.

"Definitely," Hermione said and twisted her mouth, giving Ron's back a sour expression. How dare her friend act this way. She then looked back at Harry sadly, giving him a frown and wished she could do something to help him. "I'm sorry for his attitude, Harry."

"It's fine," said Harry weakly and once again, it was a lie. What could he say to her? Nothing unless he wants her worrying about him or even worse, agreeing with Ron that he's a disgusting poof and a freak. "It's not your fault he's being such a git."

"C'mon, let's just head to breakfast," Hermione said, and she placed a hand on his back, just hoping the little gesture will help him. She offered him a small smile and started heading to the Great Hall with Harry by her side.

Harry did not want to go to breakfast at all. What if Ron was telling everyone who's homophobic about him? Surely, he'll be getting more hate mail. He just wanted to run away and go someplace alone so he could cry, wallow in self-pity, and bleed out his emotions. He needed to feel numb, it was just an urge. But he just followed Hermione to the Great Hall as he did not want her to worry about him.

Once Hermione and Harry entered the Great Hall, they searched for a free spot away from Ron. Harry sat in his usual spot, overlooking both the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables, whereas Hermione sat opposite Harry, only seeing the Ravenclaw table.

Harry looked over to where Ron was, it seems he's talking to some other Gryffindors and probably about him being gay. He felt a rush of anxiety and sadness as he felt like Ron was telling the whole of Gryffindor about the talk they had earlier in the corridors. He tensed his arm a bit, wanting to feel the familiar pain flow through his arm.

He faked a smile at the students who glanced over at him every so often. He knew that if he could feel the pain and sting of his metal blade across his skin, it could do a lot more than keep one emotion away. He saw Ron and Ginny glaring at Hermione and himself from the other side of the hall. He felt really guilty that it seems he'd ended Ron and Hermione's friendship just talking about being gay and such. He doesn't deserve such a great friend like Hermione. He deserves to be alone.

Draco watched Harry enter the Grand Hall with Granger. Seeing his boyfriend smile always made his heart melt. But he knew that Harry could easily hide his emotions. That smile Harry was giving everyone, he could tell it wasn't real. Why wasn't it a true smile though? What happened to Harry and why has his mood changed all of a sudden? The Yule Ball was magnificent, and a dream come true! So, what was wrong with Harry Potter?

"Hey, Drake?" Ivy said with a smile, looking over at the Gryffindor table to where Harry and Hermione sat. She wanted to go and sit with Harry, just to let her cousin know how easy it is to do so. He needed a boost of courage to talk with Harry anyway. That's what she thought. "I'm going to sit with Harry and his friends, do you mind?"

Draco looked at her, not in disbelief but in surprise. Does this mean he can go sit with Harry too? He hoped so. He just wanted to go over there and comfort his boyfriend to try and make him feel better for whatever reason he's down. But since he hasn't told Pansy or Ivy about the relationship he has with Harry; he must keep his act up. "You're doing what now? Do you even trust him? I mean, I trust him with my life since we're best friends."

"Of course, I do, we're friends!" Ivy said positively. She's still a little mortified by the fact that she got high a day or two ago and was speaking nonsense to her cousin. "And I'm hoping you two will finally come to your senses and date or even snog in the hallways. It's just so obvious you two like each other so why aren't you dating yet? You still have the promise to do remember?"

"Yes, I will do the promise," Draco said with a nod while wondering when he should tell her. He ignored the fact that his cousin's so obsessed with getting him and Harry together. But it seems he didn't need her help at all as he's already dating the most beautiful bloke in the world. "Anyway, how can you just waltz on over there and sit with them?"

"Watch me," Ivy said boldly, smirking at her cousin as she stood up from the table. Draco watched in wonder how his own cousin, a Slytherin, but secretly a Gryffindor at heart, could easily go up to the Gryffindors and just sit down beside them without a single rude comment coming from a Gryffindor's mouth about her being a Slytherin. He felt a little jealous of Ivy as he really wanted to do the same and sit with Harry.

Dean, Seamus, and Neville all gave Harry worried looks as they overheard Ron and Ginny, then they came to join Hermione and Harry on the other side of the Gryffindor table. They didn't want to be included in the biased and negative thoughts towards Harry. It wasn't nice at all. Ginny and Ron looked absolutely disgusted at them as they joined the 'unnatural' side.

All of a sudden, Ivy also came to join them, leaving the Gryffindor's and a few Slytherin's utterly confused. Draco was watching and wishing he could do the same. He remembered Christmas morning, having Harry come over and sit with him and Ivy. Remembering having to feed him, which was quite fun and adorable. He sighed, got up and walked over to the Gryffindor table. Now's the time to sit with him.

"Where are you going, Draco?" Pansy asked him curiously with a slight tilt of her head. She looked over at the Gryffindor table at a girl with brown bushy hair and chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at the Gryffindor, thinking back to the photos she received from the photographers about that night of the Yule Ball. She had them take plenty of photos of her and Hermione.

Draco turned his head around to face his friend who he knew was staring at Granger. Typical Pansy Parkinson. "To man up and sit with Harry, of course," he told her brashly. He just hopes he won't get kicked off the Gryffindor table, but Ivy seems to be doing alright over there. Why don't you do the same and sit with Granger?"

Pansy raised an eyebrow at him, confused but also a little surprised at her best friend for going to sit with another table. More specifically, the Gryffindor table and net to Harry Potter. She watched him walk off to the Gryffindor table with a high chin of confidence.

"Hi Harry," Dean said as he sat down on the opposite side of the table with Seamus and Neville. They just hated how Ron was talking about Harry. Not just Harry but every LGBTQ+ members too. It hurt and they didn't want to be around someone with such biased and negative people.

"Hey guys," Harry said halfheartedly and looked at a bowl of porridge and decided to grab it to take his mind of Ron. He continuously dipped his spoon in his porridge, not even taking a bite as the look of it made him sick. He just didn't want to eat today at all. What's the point anyway? Although, everything he has eaten since taking that first, second, and third vial of potion never made him have to rush to the bathroom to empty his stomach out.

"Hello, Harry," Ivy said with a smile and sat down next to him. She didn't eat anything at the Slytherin table but maybe she should at the Gryffindor table so at least she's eating something. She dished her plate up with croissants and bagels just to try something new since the elves rarely make international foods.

Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Hermione looked at Ivy. They were a little confused as to why a Slytherin has joined the Gryffindor table and how she knows Harry. They've seen her around Hogwarts but have never met her.

"Hi, Ivy," Harry said and faked a smiled at her. Why were so many people coming over to him and Hermione? Nothing exciting is happening. He notices his porridge is getting a little cold. So be it.

Ivy frowned at Harry and his smile, knowing too well that the smile he gave her was fake. She could tell when someone fakes a smile. She's faked thousands of smiles every day. She's not used to it, and it looks like she made a good decision to come over here so she could look out for Harry.

"Harry?" Dean asked and raised an eyebrow, looking at the Slytherin girl and then back to Harry. He's seen her at the Yule Ball hanging around Harry, Draco, Ron, Blaise Zabini, Hermione, and Pansy Parkinson. "Who's she?" He tried not to sound rude by asking the question. He just hoped the girl wouldn't give them any trouble though she looked as if she could be nice.

"I'm Ivy," said Ivy and she held out her hand for him to shake. She's always greeting people with a handshake. She's grown up with it when she's been with her mother out at her muggle stores and meeting the important people of the world. "I'm in my 6th year at Hogwarts."

Dean smiled back at the Slytherin girl and shook her hand as a greeting. Her hands were a little cold. Almost deathly cold. He's never shaken hands with anyone in a while. It almost feels alien. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ivy. I'm Dean Thomas. This is my... this is Seamus Finnegan, and this here's Neville Longbottom." He pointed out to the two other wizards sitting next to him.

Neville gave a small wave and smile to her, while Seamus just smiled at her and shook her hand. He heard Dean's mistake easily which made him chuckle a little. He would have guessed Dean nearly said, 'This is my boyfriend' and then his own name. What a way to come out to everyone, just b making a little mistake with his words.

Draco then made an appearance and sat down on the other side of Harry. He gave his boyfriend a smile and sneakily put an arm around Harry's waist. "Hello, Harry," he said and resisted the urge to give him a kiss on the cheek. He can see how down Harry looks and just wished he knew how to help him. Was there a way though? There should be.

Dean, Neville, Seamus, and Hermione looked at the blonde Slytherin with surprise. Another Slytherin yet again had the courage to sit with the Gryffindor's with ease. Ivy smiled; glad her cousin could man up and come over here to sit with Harry.

"Hey, Draco," Harry said sadly and leaned his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. He looked down at the plate Draco was dishing up food on and closed his eyes. Just this once while he's depressed, he would like to be alone with Draco somewhere and snuggling up to him. He obviously couldn't do that in the Great Hall, or it will cause suspicion.

Draco smiled sadly at Harry, reached his other hand up to brush a few strands of his bangs out of his emerald green eyes and placed a kiss to his forehead. He didn't care who saw him now. He got a positive letter from his father about his sexuality and Ivy and Pansy know he's only been kissing Harry multiple times. They have no idea that he's dating Harry.

"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione then spoke to make the silence disappear and also gave him a small smile at the loving gesture he gave Harry. She just adores seeing them together even if Harry looks a little down and isn't eating anything. It's worrying for her to see her best friend looking so down. She'll have to ask him about it later.

Draco looked up and nodded slightly at the muggle-born, acknowledging her existence for a bit. "Granger."

Hermione nodded back at him. But she wanted to end this last name basis thing. "Please, call me Hermione and in return, I'll call you Draco," she suggested kindly and then she started eating her warm porridge.

"Alright," Draco said and turned to look back at Harry. His boyfriend was trying to hide the frown from him. He removed his hand from Harry's waist and intertwined their hands together from under the table. "So, how are you?" He knows the question is a daft one but it's a good question to ask. It shows that you do care for someone.

Harry faked a smile at him though he knew Draco wouldn't believe it. "I'm fine," he said, and the lie hurt him from deep within. But he chose to go on with it and feel like a terrible boyfriend. That's what he believes he is. A terrible boyfriend.

Ivy looked over at Hermione, catching her attention with a smile. She gave her a knowing smile and nodded her head towards Draco and Harry. "Do you know about those two lovebirds?" she mouthed to Hermione and leaned forward over the table towards her. She could tell the Gryffindor book worm was getting suspicious of Harry's depressed demeanour and like Draco, she wanted to find out what has upset Harry.

Hermione nodded at her. "Lovebirds they are," she mouthed back and was glad her favourite topic was now being discussed. "I've been trying to get Harry to talk to Draco about their love for one another. What about you?"

"I made Draco promise to ask Harry out but hasn't happened yet sadly," Ivy mouthed back with a frown, but little did she knew Hermione knows about the relationship Harry has with Draco and she's not planning on telling anyone about it unless Harry gives her permission.

Hermione smiled gleefully at Ivy, knowing about the secret relationship her best friend has with Draco. If only she could tell her, but she promised Harry on the night of the Yule Ball that she wouldn't.

Dean turned his attention back to look at Harry. He has a feeling Harry's looking so down is from Ron telling bias to everyone and thinking that being gay is disgusting and a sin. He hated Ron for that if it's the reason Harry seems so sad. "We heard from Ron that you're gay," he said using a soft tone and squeezed Seamus' hand from under the table. What Ron said affected them both. "You know, it's okay to like the same gender."

Draco turned his head to the side and whispered to Harry's scar, "He's right, you know?" He placed a kiss to Harry's scar, hearing Harry sigh and press into the embrace. "But even if it isn't right, I would still be dating you. After all, I fell in love with you."

Harry gave a little smile at that, but the voice in his head told him Draco was lying. He didn't believe the voice at all, but he wanted to. He knows Draco loves him because he's been told so by Draco a lot of times but in the French language. If Draco didn't love him then why would the Slytherin be giving hugs and kisses of all sorts to him. He just believes that he is a bad boyfriend and that he doesn't deserve Draco or his love.

Ivy looked at all of the Gryffindor's and she began to wonder why she never chose to be in Gryffindor as it seems they talk about sexuality a lot. This would have been a great place for her even if she liked being a Slytherin. Plus, she'll be closer to Lavender.

"I know, thanks Dean," Harry said with a sad tone but tried to hide it as best as he could. His appearance was gaunt, and he still did not look up at anyone because all he felt like was a freak. A gay freak. A 'poof' as Ron had called him.

Dean could still see Harry's down demeanour and it still hadn't changed. Harry's mood still hadn't lifted. "Your definitely not the only LGBTQ+ guy in Hogwarts too," he reassured him with a smile, hoping he or someone else could lift Harry's spirits up.

"LGBTQ+?" Neville looked at him, furrowing his brows. He's heard of that weird letter term, but he's never known what it stands for. He has always thought that it was some secret house or secret society in Hogwarts that not a lot of people know of. It's like that WIFI word, and a few students ask him for the password to WIFI. Whatever it is. "What does it mean? Lame Goats Bite Turtles for Quests?"

Seamus nearly spat out his toast when Neville guessed what LGBTQ+ means. He could hear his dormmate say that all day if he could and it would never get old. "Naw, Neville," he said and shook his head, smiling sheepishly. "It stands for the sexualities people in the world have. It means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and others."

"Oh," Neville said, and he hesitated for a minute to just think about all that Seamus had said. Now he just felt stupid. How come he never knew about this? He knows of the sexualities but why hasn't he heard of the whole group?

"I'm the L in LGBTQ," Ivy said and she sounded quite confident with her chin held high and chest thrust out. "I'm a Lesbian and I'm proud of who I am." She then started singing quietly, hoping not many other students overhear her.

If you're gay, then you're gay.  
Don't pretend that you're straight.  
You can be who you are, any day of the week.  
You are unlike the others.  
So strong and unique.  
We're all with you.

Dean and Seamus smiled at each other, then to her while swaying from side to side in tune. Neville even started to sway with the music as he was eating his Breakfast. Hermione smiled at her, also swaying along with the others.

If you're straight, well that's great.  
You can help procreate.  
And make gay little babies.  
For the whole human race.  
Make a world we can live in.  
Where the one who you love's not an issue.

Draco swayed with the music, stealing glances at Harry who looked as if he were zoned out. Harry was still looking down at the table as he just wanted to leave. But the thing is he didn't want to leave Draco. He wanted to stay in his arms and receive forehead kisses from him. It's the only love he gets from someone who he really loves deeply with all his dead emotionless heart.

'Cause we're all somewhere in the middle,  
We're all just looking for love to change the world.  
What if the world stops spinning tomorrow?  
We can't keep running away from who we are.

Some of the other Gryffindors overheard Ivy singing. Some were looking confused whilst the others looked at her in amazement for her pure talent. Most of them even clapped and swayed along with her and the others.

"You know about muggle music?" Dean asked with a disbelieving voice, but then he gave her a tentative smile when he realized she did know about the muggle world. He was surprised a Pureblood knew about muggle things.

Ivy nodded at him. "Let's just say, I grew up in both worlds," she said and then the Hannah Montana theme song came into her head and got stuck there. Now she was humming along to the tune as she couldn't get rid of the song from her head. Blasted muggle music.

Hermione looked up at Ivy from her porridge she had been eating while listening to Ivy sing and the others talk. "You're a pureblood yet you know about the muggle world?" she asked her in disbelief. It was cool having a Pureblood know about the muggle world.

"Yeah, and as much as I love magic and the wizarding world, I also spend my time with muggle things," Ivy told them, and she tore apart her croissant to eat with a simple tug. "For example: phones, muggle toys, devices and muggle books."

"You have a phone?" Dean asked and raised his eyebrows, still surprised that a pureblood would have such a muggle object. How does she even have the money to get a phone? It's not like she has actual muggle money... unless she does.

"What in Merlin's name is a phone?" Neville asked as he sounded confused yet again. A lot of things confuse him, especially when it has something to do with muggles. What even is a phone though? Is it some sort of quill? Or perhaps a Pygmy Puff of a new breed?

Ivy reached into her robe pocket and pulled out what looked like a large, but thin, brick looking thingamajig with a black case and a teddy bear holding an axe that's saying, 'Don't touch my phone!' She liked the cover. It was kawaii but evil.

"What kind is that?" Dean then asked and he leaned over the table, looking like he wanted to study it. He's got a phone but it's only a Samsung 4 model and it's at home. The last time Seamus used it he couldn't get him away from it. It's like his eyes were glued to it.

"It's a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge," Ivy said, a little bored that she has to talk about phones. But it was a little fun telling others what a phone is. It's like other wizards and witches are aliens and she had to teach them nearly everything that muggles have and what they do. She placed her phone on the table so everyone could see it.

"How are you able to afford it, then?" asked Dean, and his eyebrows gathered in a little in curiosity. She must live in the muggle world or something if she has muggle money to afford these things. "It's got to be worth thousands of dollars. Do you live in the muggle world too?"

Ivy looked down at her phone and told them all about phones and what online shopping is. She even contrasted about the difference between owling and post. She stated what the muggle Post was and how it's similar to owling. She wished she could use her phone at Hogwarts but knew the magic surrounding Hogwarts would temper with the internet connection and possibly damage her phone.

"Interesting..." Neville said blankly but was distracted by the look Malfoy was giving Harry. Neville Longbottom could see things that many could not. He could see the look Harry had and knew there was something wrong with the boy. He personally doesn't suffer with depression, but he has been depressed since he can never hear his own mother's and father's voice speak back to him. That is all he wishes, to have his mom and dad remember him and talk to him about everything they can.

Dean and Seamus looked at each other, then looked back to Ivy. Dean and Hermione nodded, understanding what it's like to be bombarded with questions about muggle things. He and Seamus then started eating a pancake together while putting different toppings on each side. It's what they do together a lot. Many other Gryffindor's think they do it just because they're good friends, but they are more than that.

Draco knew he had not seen the Gryffindor eat anything at all, even when he was seated at the Slytherin table with Ivy. Harry really worries him sometimes. "Have you eaten anything yet, Harry?"

"Yeah, just eating porridge," Harry muttered with a slow nod and felt the guilt of the lie eating away at him. He really wanted to escape from the Great Hall. The temptation was so strong. But then again there's Draco who's really caring for him deeply and showing him love in the simplest of gestures like forehead kisses and holding hands.

"How much have you eaten?" Draco had to ask him as the health of his boyfriend matters so much to him. He would literally head to the Library's Secret Room and make another full cauldron worth of the eating disorder potion for Harry just so he's able to eat something. But Harry's depression... He doesn't know how he can help Harry with that.

Harry swirled his spoon slowly around in his bowl of porridge. "Just a few spoonful's," he lied again. "I tend to get full easily." He just felt even worse. Why must his life be full of lies? He wants to tell Draco something, but he just doesn't want Draco thinking badly amongst him. He loves Draco and he doesn't want to lose him.

Draco shook his head at him. He wants to help but Harry won't let him. "Harry, did you want me to help feed you like I did at Christmas?" he asked in a soft whisper and gave their intertwined hands a squeeze.

Harry shook his head and decided that this was it. He had to go. "Sorry, I need to go," he said and let go of Draco's warm hand. "I just remembered something." He got up, gave Draco a kiss to the cheek just so he doesn't leave feeling even worse and left. He really did not care if he was being stared at by everyone. He just wanted to get away. He needed to cut, he just needed to. What Ron said really got to him. He felt like a freak. He needed to bleed out his emotions and what better way was to go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to grab his little sharp friend.

Draco smiled at the kiss Harry gave him but wished so much that Harry stayed. But he knows that Harry's going off to do something bad. It's the same way Ivy does it. She just gets up and leaves, looking quite depressed but with tears in her eyes. Most of the time he tries to stop her, if he does see her but fails to do so a lot.

Hermione, Seamus, Dean, and Neville watched him go. But Ivy and Draco were the only ones who knew something was up. They wanted to follow Harry, to ask if he was all right. Draco was becoming very worried about his boyfriend now. Just looking into those dull and empty but beautiful emerald green eyes, he could see what looked like a shattered soul.

"Speaking about LGBTQ+," Seamus said, ending the silence and continuing with the conversation. "In fact, we're going to lend ye on a little secret. Only a few Gryffindors know this but, me and Dean are dating," he told them, lifting his and Deans intertwined hands over the table, and kissing his wonderful boyfriend, Dean, on the cheek. The loving gesture made Dean chuckle and a blush rose to his cheeks as he smiled down at his pancake.

Neville spat out the porridge that he was about to swallow back into the bowl as he was surprised at the sudden news. Everyone's surprising and confusing him today. And Ivy giggled and applauded the couple which she's seen holding hands through the corridors and snogging at the Yule Ball.

Hermione stopped eating the piece of toast with strawberry jam and looked at the couple with a bright smile. "Oh, we know," she said and remembered seeing the two snogging during certain events and in the common room. "We've seen you snogging at the Yule Ball, dance practices for the Yule Ball as well as in the common room. I'm very happy for you, guys."

"We're really happy for you guys," Ivy corrected her and just wanted to reach over and give them both a hug but knew it would probably be awkward for them. And she'd probably squeeze the air out of them. "How long has this been on for? Weeks? Months? Fortnights? Years?"

"We both knew we started liking each other to the end of our second year when we turned 13," Dean said with a smile to his boyfriend, and then to her. He hasn't told anyone about how he and Seamus came to be and would like to. "And so, I asked out Seamus just last year."

Seamus smiled at his boyfriend and lay his head down on his shoulder, their hands intertwined under the table. "Does anybody want to know how he asked me out?" he asked them, then tilted his head up and leaned forward, kissing Dean on the jaw. Then he looks back at them. "Who wants to hear the whole story?"

"Oh, I do!" Hermione said, and her eyes gleamed with excitement. She looked at everyone around her, seeing that they all are excited to hear the story.

"I do too!" Ivy said gleefully, expressing her excitement with a wide grin. The croissant she was holding, she squeezed it a bit too hard so it looked like a stick but edible. "Please, tell us! I love a good romantic story."

"Yep," Draco said silently, but all that was on his mind was Harry and what he could be doing right now. The thing is, he doesn't even know where Harry goes to hurt himself if he does hurt himself like Ivy does. He hasn't exactly seen any cuts on Harry's wrists, but he has a feeling Harry has them. He doesn't know the password to the Gryffindor common room either so even if he is there, he won't be able to reach him unless he goes through Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. However, he is sure he'd get hexed if he stepped foot into the Gryffindor common room.

Seamus looked up at his boyfriend into those chocolate brown eyes with an adoring smile. "Aye?" he asked him and hoped his answer will get a positive reply. But Dean's answers are always positive.

Dean smiled and leaned forward, licking his lips. When their lips connected and he could feel the smoothness of his boyfriend's lips which lit him up from the inside, he began kissing him slowly. He then leaned away as he heard giggles but that's not why he ended the kiss. He ended the kiss because he had a story to tell. "Of course, sweetheart."

Seamus stared down at his pancake and started, "So, this was during the Christmas holidays last year in our third year. Dean asked me over for Christmas with his family and of course, how could anybody ever say naw?" He saw Dean smile down at his own strawberry syrup covered pancake. "And it was one afternoon, we were outside having a snowball fight with his siblings and I was walking backwards with a handful of snowballs in my arms and... bam!" He clapped his palms together to signify how hard he fell. "I fell on top of Dean, we were so close to each other, our noses just touching and our lips only inches apart. I looked Dean deep in his beautiful chocolate brown eyes and saw the most beautiful thing. Well, of course, I've always seen something beautiful in my Dean." He kissed Dean's warm blushing cheek, which caused his boyfriend to chuckle. "Then we kissed, it was so..."

"Incredible!" Dean and Seamus both chorused together with loving smiles as they could easily remember the memory. They looked at each other and leaned in for a slow kiss since there was nothing to hide anymore.

Seamus continued with a blush right after he leaned away from the kiss with his boyfriend. "After the kiss back then, we just stared into each other's eyes until we heard giggling coming from around us," he said in almost a dreamy tone, and Ivy had to press her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling. "As I looked up, every one of Dean's siblings was staring at us with wide eyes and a few of his sisters were giggling. I remember I was blushing like mad..."

"We were blushing like mad," Dean corrected his Irish boyfriend and gave their hands a light squeeze. "And then I asked Seamus out and we had our first date in a restaurant together. Of course, my mother and my sisters were there but at a different table, so we had a table to ourselves."

Ivy and Hermione giggled at the couple and how adorable the boy's first kiss was, and their first date too. Neville just smiled as he was happy for his friends, but he wished he had someone he can experience love with. He knows that real love will find its way to him eventually though it will take some time.

"Aww!" Ivy said sweetly with a hand over her heart. She couldn't be happier than to hear this little love story from the two boys. "That is so adorable!"

Draco had to admit as he stared down at a basket of muffins, that that was a very adorable story. But all that was on his mind was Harry, and that he hoped he was okay wherever he ran off to. He hopes Harry's safe and away from blades if that's what he uses if he does hurt himself. He wants to find out if Harry does use blades, or if he just deals with the pain. He needs to know.

"So," Hermione said and wondered who else knows of the relationship these two boys greatly have. "Who else knows of your relationship? Do any other students from different houses know too?"

Seamus smiled at Dean, then to Hermione. "Well, we kind of wanted it to be a secret because there are still homophobic wizards around," he said and looked down at the table at Ron and Ginny. "Especially Ron and Ginny, they are probably the most homophobic people in the wizarding world from what I heard them say."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the Irish Gryffindor, curious about what Weasel and Weaselette have been saying to make these two boys keep their relationship a secret. "What have they been saying about homosexuality?" Draco had to ask. Maybe it's why Harry looks so depressed. The Weasel kids better have not said anything rude to his Harry.

"They're calling all members of the LGBTQ+ disgusting and sinners," said Dean and he didn't even look like he cared at all that his own dormmate and his little sister thought that way. He knows how to deal with homophobic people and that is to ignore them.

"We're not homophobic though," said two recognizable voices. Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Ivy and Neville jumped in surprise. Fred and George stood there, looking a little disappointed at them, then looked over at the two Slytherins sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Fred and George exchanged glances of confusion as they looked at Draco who seemed utterly worried about something. They ignored him and turned to look at the girl with Black hair and blue eyes. "Who might this lovely lady be-," asked Fred.

"-And is she available?" George finished off the question and winked at her to see if she'd blush. She didn't though, to their disappointment. Ivy just smiled at them and Draco tried to hold down a laugh as the twins didn't know she's a lesbian. But as he remembered about Harry, he grew silent again and stared down at Harry's porridge which hasn't been eaten.

Ivy giggled at the two twins. It seems she has to tell more desperate boys about her sexuality. Though it doesn't get old because at least she knows she's pretty enough for some guys to like her. "Yes, I'm available, but not for you boys," she said, a smile on her lips as she began eating her stick-croissant.

"And why is that?" George then asked her with a charming smile, wanting to know why she's not available for at least him or just his twin. A guy wants to know, especially if the girl's so damn hot.

"Because I'm a Lesbian," Ivy said easily and she looked down the Gryffindor table and spotted a girl with dirty blonde hair. Lavender Brown. Such a sweetheart as she knows from the Patil twins and other girls in her year.

"Ah, that makes sense," Fred said distractedly as he stared at the empty spot next to the blonde Slytherin wizard. Was someone supposed to be there? He blinked and looked back at the girl named Ivy. "I'm Fred and this is my twin, George." He and his twin held their hands out to her for a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, Fred and George," Ivy said and shook hands with the two twin men. Yet again more handshakes which she hasn't done in a while. She doesn't meet new people every so often and it's quite nice.

Fred bowed at her, and so did his twin and at the same time. "Oh, well It was nice to meet you too, Ivy. We love meeting new people from different houses."

"So, what do you guys think of homophobia, then?" Hermione asked them. Her lips were slightly parted, trying to decide if she should eat the rest of her toast until she's full or just stop eating and become hungry later on.

"We never believed in that silly term, "George said with a sigh of disapproval. But then he saw something worrying on the underside of the girl's arm just above her black Uniform sweater who he knew was named Ivy. Red lines... He's never seen anything quite like that except for Kneazle scratches. But still... they looked far deeper than any Kneazle cat scratches he's seen before.

Fred saw the dazed look on his twin's face which made him a little curious. "We're a part of the LGBTQ+ group," he told them with an easy smile but placed a hand on his twins' shoulders. "George and I are pansexual. We like people for their personalities, not their bodies."

Ivy saw one of the twins look down somewhere near her arms and looked to where the twin was staring. Her breath hiked at the raw cuts she forgot to spell away this morning but really, she couldn't be bothered to. She quickly covered her wrist up by pulling her sleeve down past her knuckles.

George blinked at the girl's arm and knew something was up just by the very sharp inhalation of breath and how she yanked her sleeves back down. He looked at Hermione and smiled uneasily at the disturbing sight he had just seen. "I guess with our family, there has never really been anybody who liked the same gender. Except Charlie though. He's either gay or asexual."

"And us, of course," Fred said as he stared curiously at his twin. Whatever disturbed his twin he knew that he'd have to have a conversation with him in private sometime. He looked to his side and down the table at his younger siblings. "Our little Ronny-kins and Ginny Winny grew up thinking that it's unnatural to like the same gender."

"We're really sorry about our little Ronny and Ginny," George said with a cracked voice, and he rubbed at his nose. He hoped it wasn't all because of him and Fred that their younger siblings were raised like this. "It's a shame. We thought we raised them way better than this."

Ivy looked down towards where she saw most of these friendly Gryffindor's were looking, seeing more ginger hair standing out. She saw Ron but she didn't recognize the girl with long and straight ginger hair.

Dean sighed a little sadly. He hated how rude Ron was being, especially to Harry and the whole LGBTQ+ group. But why would he speak and lose trust in people when he could be quiet and say nothing. "It's fine, guys, really. If they want to act this way, then let them."

George looked over at Draco with a smile. He remembered the Slytherin and Harry dancing non-stop at the Yule Ball, almost like the two were actually a couple. "So, Malfoy, does your family accept homosexuality?"

Draco shrugged and looked up at the twins. He just had to tell them. "My mother does and earlier this week, my father sent me a letter saying he knew of the new relationship I have with Harry as well as dancing with him at the Yule Ball. He said he would start to try to accept me, don't know if he will do or not but I don't care. Mother gets very emotional when father doesn't accept me with things like what I want to do with my life. I know it's just his way of saying he wants me to do what he wants but I just can't allow that. I want a life of my own, not one my father would want."

"So, what is this relationship you have with Harry?" Fred asked, intrigued, with raised eyebrows. Could it be true that this blonde Slytherin and Harry really are a thing? "And what was it like dancing with each other at the Yule Ball?"

Draco bit his lip, feeling his face redden. He didn't want to tell anybody yet. Not until at least the new Year which is in a few days' time. More like in two days. "Uhm... Harry and I are best friends?"

Fred and George nodded at the blonde Slytherin. But they didn't believe him when he said 'best friends' because do 'best friends' really stare at each other in a loving way? Do best friends kiss each other on the mouth? No, they don't think so. "Alright then, brothers and sisters we must take our leave," they both chorused together.

Once everyone said their goodbye's to Fred and George, the twins gave them all a small wave and left them to their food. They had some mischief to do anyway that involved Peeves.

"I must be on my way too," Hermione said as she got up, taking her toast with her, and left without a goodbye. She wanted to get to class on time before Pansy does. It's like their friendship goal. Get to class before the other does.

"Oh," said Ivy, a little disappointed that she couldn't say Goodbye to Hermione before she exited the Great Hall. There's still a next time though. But she too wants to head back to the Slytherin table just so she and Draco can have a little chat about Harry's state they both saw him in. "Draco and I must head back to the Slytherin table now."

"Aww, but we just met you," said Dean, frowning a little and hoping it'll make them stay for a little while longer. "Can't you stay for a while? We would like to get to know you a little better than from being this mysterious Slytherin girl who just came to join the Gryffindor table today."

"Alright, we can stay for a short while," Ivy said and scooted closer to Draco so there wasn't an empty space between them. She sniffed Harry's porridge, noticing it's still warm and it smelt pretty good too. Even though it was Harry's porridge, and her cousin was staring down at it sadly, she decides to eat it just to give her energy for the day. It tasted pretty good too.

"Great!" Dean said silently but gleefully and with a bright smile. "So, Ivy. Tell us what other muggle songs do you know? I know the song you sang earlier is 'Everyone is gay' by A Great Big World. Know any other songs like that one?"

"I know a heap of muggle songs and bands, dating back to the '60s," Ivy said and as she said that she got out her phone again. She then sighed, knowing the magic around Hogwarts would destroy her phone if she tried to use her mobile data and internet. "The Beetles, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, ACDC, Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin etc." Ivy looked down at the plate of food left on the table, untouched by anybody and decided to grab a piece of toast and eat it since she has not eaten in some time, except an apple.

"I know some of those bands," said Dean and looked to his side at his boyfriend who seemed to be playing around with some strawberries on the half-eaten pancake they were sharing. "Especially ACDC and Guns N Roses. Oh, and Panic at the disco. I love them! But I'm also into J-Pee's music and Hozier."

Seamus looked over at Draco, who seems to be staring down at the spot Harry once was at. He just smiled and knew the Slytherin must be thinking of Harry since he's just staring at the place Harry has been seated at up until Ivy scooted over. "So, Malfoy. Do you want to tell us about ye crush on Harry? Or should Ivy? Oh, and would you rather we call you Malfoy still or Draco?"

"Just Draco," Draco told him flatly, but then he looked to his side at his cousin, glaring at her and giving her the 'Don't you dare tell them' look. Ivy sighed in defeat, really liking annoying the hell out of her cousin by telling Harry's best friends about Draco's crush on him.

Seamus raised an eyebrow and looked at Draco again, "We figured ye like him ages ago, even before ye made the truce. Don't ask us how we know that. We just have our ways. Ye boys have been stalking each other for ages, wanting each other's attention. Ye both love Quidditch, I could go on forever about why ye two are so oblivious to date one another."

Dean nodded in easy agreement. The two are so oblivious for the other's feelings. "You two would be the perfect couple," he said, and he smiled with both his mouth and eyes. "A star couple, two boys into each other."

"So, we were right?" Seamus asked him in a quiet voice. It was so nobody could hear them. He didn't think the Slytherin would want people to know of the crush he has on Harry. "Ye do like Harry?"

Draco nodded slightly and narrowed his eyes at the two Gryffindors just to look a little intimidating. He didn't know how else he could come by this topic since he's already dating Harry. "No one can know about this."

Dean nodded at him. He will never tell a soul. It was interesting to hear about this though as he was getting to know this blonde Slytherin's other side of him except for the rude bully he was. "Your secret is safe with us until you do ask Harry out."

"Good," Draco said in a serious but soft tone of voice. He felt his cheeks begin to redden and warm up a little bit. "I'll get to asking out Harry sometime soon. I promised myself that I would do it so hopefully, it'll be sometime this week."

"Just make sure ye do it by Friday or I swear I will come find ye and hex ye into the next week," said Seamus. He then turned to look at Ivy. "Could ye maybe sing us another song? We could easily tell the other song was a gay song."

"Yeah, we'd love to hear another song," Neville said quietly, feeling a little sad as he'd been left out of the conversation. But he knew he shouldn't as he'd been asked questions by a number of people around him.

"Sorry boys but this voice needs a rest," Ivy said and gave them a sad smile. She'd like to but it's easy for her to lose her voice and she doesn't exactly want that since she'll be casting a lot of spells in Charms class soon. "Well, Draco and I must get going. You boys should be going to class too. You don't want to be late for classes now do you?"

All three of the Gryffindor boy's sighed.

"Yeah, well off you go!" Ivy nearly snapped at them. She doesn't' want the boys getting detention all because she stayed at their table to chat with them. It would be her own fault. "Don't want to get detention now do you!"

"Sure don't," said Neville as he got up after quickly finishing his breakfast and left with a wave goodbye. He smiled and turned around as he was greeted with a goodbye from Ivy, a new person he had met today.

"It was great meeting and talking with ye, Ivy," Seamus then said while getting up from the table, his hand still intertwined with Dean's. With a wave goodbye, much like Neville's, he then left the Grand Hall with his Boyfriend.

Ivy and Draco then got up from the Gryffindor table and went back to their required house table. Pansy looked towards Draco and Ivy with a grin on her lips when they sat back down at the Slytherin table. Draco did not acknowledge Pansy's existence, because he's too busy thinking about Harry.

"Hey, did anyone hear that Potter's gay?" asked Nott, looking extremely satisfied with himself as he remembered hearing the Gryffindor say so in the corridors earlier this morning.

Draco looked up towards Nott, leaned over the table and grabbed his tie. He pulled Nott towards him to eye level and said in a calm tone with a smirk, "Potter's gay? Details! Now!" Of course, he knows Harry's gay. He's happily dating him. He just had to say something, so he doesn't look suspicious.

"Well... Potter is apparently gay," said Nott rather quickly. Malfoy scares him at times. "He said so this morning. Luckily one of our Slytherins overheard them. Granger is apparently Bi as well."

Pansy looked up as Nott mentioned Hermione being Bi. She smiled to herself and finished off her breakfast. She hasn't heard from Hermione that she likes girls, but she had her thoughts about it.

Nott waited for Draco to unleash him from his grip so he could breathe again. He was granted his wish when Draco let go of Nott's tie slowly, then sat back down in his seat. What he didn't know was that he was staring into the silver eyes of Harry Potter's boyfriend.

"Give Harry a compliment whenever you see him next and ask how his day has been," Ivy whispered into Draco's ear. "And you know that Harry likes you back. Remember the Yule Ball? He was practically staring at you in a loving way. Not to mention the kiss you both shared."

Draco tried hard not to blush at what his cousin wanted him to do but failed to do so. Giving Harry a compliment would be easy now. It should be. He felt his heartbeat a little faster as he was getting up ready to leave for class with a small smile on his face.

+*About fifteen minutes before*+

After Harry had escaped everyone in the Great Hall, he headed directly back to Gryffindor Tower. Tears were present in his eyes before he finally broke down, Ron's hurtful words still echoing in his head from earlier this morning. Freak, he thought. A depressed gay freak! I'm a depressed gay freak!

And then a voice spoke in his head, "Nobody wants you here, you are so worthless, you should be dead. You should jump off the astronomy tower, or out a window. It would be so quick and painless. You deserve to be in pain, you deserve to be punished, to be called a freak and a poof. You deserve to be unwanted. Would you really think people would miss you if you died?" Harry wiped away his tears on his robe sleeve as he rushed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Harry opened the sink cupboard, grabbed the green tin containing his little sharp friend and spelled it open. As he had the blade in his hands, he took no hesitation and rolled his sleeves up and started cutting deeper than he had ever done before. He knew he was in trouble because he was losing a lot of blood, he did not care though as it was satisfying. He watched the blood run down his arms into the sink, all he could hear was the slow dripping noise of his blood. Mesmerized, he wanted to make more.

He sliced the blade across his skin, again and again. Every new cut was deeper than the other. Until he made five, he felt satisfied. The guilt, sadness and depression had bled out of him and the wave of numbness hit him hard. He continued to watch the blood pour down his arm into the sink, staining the white sink with his scarlet blood. He feels more clear-minded. It is like his mind is back in his body and everything is in clear focus. It was weird and he wondered what else cutting can do.

Soon, Harry started to become irked and dizzy. White spots filled his vision. He felt light on his feet, he really liked this numb haze he was in. When he finished cutting, he washed off his blade, cleaned his arm up and returned his blade to its tin which he spelled shut and placed back in the cupboard. He felt as if he could float, but he also felt tired. He tried to ignore his tiredness and started to head to class.

+*Present time*+

Draco had just escaped Ivy from breakfast and made his way down to Defense against the Dark Arts. He was wondering about Harry and how he's managing with the terrible things Weasley had said. He was already halfway to class when he bumped into someone.

"Sorry," came a familiar soft voice that Draco knows of too well. Draco looked over at the boy with dark messy hair, round spectacles, and dull green eyes.

Draco gave his boyfriend a smile and reached down to intertwine their hands together. "Hello, my beautiful Harry," he said sweetly and leaned forward, rubbing Harry's nose with his own nose. "No, it's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." Then he remembered how Harry ran out of the Grand Hall earlier today. His expression turned soft and concerned. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"It's no worries, Draco," Harry said numbly as he stared into concerned silver orbs. A light blush spread to his cheeks at the loving gesture Draco gave him, and he squeezed their intertwined hands together just to let Draco know he was alright. "And I am fine. You needn't worry."

Draco nodded though he did not believe Harry at all and wished Harry could tell him what's up. He knew, thanks to Ivy, that when she was in this state it was better not to ask questions. To take his mind off that subject, he remembered the conversation he had with Ivy. She said to give Harry a compliment. Of course, Draco always gives Harry a compliment whenever he can, but he made sure this one will be remembered.

Draco checked the Gryffindor with stunning green eyes out, looking up at his hair, his smile, his green irises. That's it! "Uhm, have you ever noticed that your eyes are the prettiest emerald green I've ever seen in the world and trust me, I've seen all the colours of green."

Harry felt the sudden warmth spread up to his cheeks and across his face, which he then gave his Slytherin boyfriend a small smile. He tensed at his arm; the numb wave almost made him feel... good about himself. Could that actually happen? Could cutting serve a different purpose? Could it make him a little happy because what exactly was he feeling right now?

He was definitely feeling focused, especially with Draco and the compliments the Slytherin gave him. Perhaps, it is only the compliments Draco gives him that made him slightly happy. "That's so sweet of you to say, Draco," he said in a warm tone. "Have you ever noticed how your eyes are the colour of the moon and stars? They shine in the most beautiful way."

Draco smiled back, feeling his cheeks redden from the compliment. "Heh, thanks," he said and let go of one of Harry's hands so he could run it through his hair. "Now you're the sweet one." He brought his hand up to Harry's cheek and cupped it. Harry wasn't meant to compliment him, it was supposed to be the other way around, but he didn't mind this at all.

Harry gave him an actual smile and he rubbed his cheek into Draco's hand. "No, you are," he says softly, and his other hand comes up to Draco's hand and places it on top.

"That's not possible, Harry," Draco whispered and placed his other hand around Harry's waist, bringing their bodies a little closer. He tilted his head to the side and leaned forward, capturing Harry's lips with his own and kissed them gently and slowly. Harry could then taste vanilla from on Draco's lips. He pondered if Draco was wearing lip balm. They stayed kissing for a couple more seconds, Draco gave Harry's bottom lip a little nibble and then pulled away.

Harry bit his lip as he still felt Draco's lips still sliding over his own and he was looking into those beautiful silvery eyes he fell in love with. "We should head to class," he then said as he doesn't want to be late to class with Draco. Though detention with Draco seems fun. "We don't want to be hexed by Mad eye."

"Sure," Draco said while he and Harry made their way to class. The professor was a little scary since the first lesson on the Cruciatus Curse. In fact, everyone's scared of him. "We're sitting together by the way and not in the front row." He was going to ask about Weasley to have Harry's perspective on it all but felt like he should leave it to another time.

When they entered the classroom, all eyes were on them. They ignored the stares and sat down beside each other. Ron was glaring daggers at Harry, and Draco glared back at Ron when he saw the Weasel's look at Harry.

Professor Moody entered the classroom, everyone could hear the familiar 'Clank' of his staff. All the students watched as the professor taught them about the next unforgivable curse called the Killing Curse. They even gasped in shock as the professor used the curses on a poor spider. Hermione had to raise her voice and tell Moody to stop, but of course, he didn't stop.

The professor caught Dean and Seamus snogging at their desk, he made the spider fly around them to try and stop but it didn't work. He had to separate the couple, placing Dean in the front and Seamus in the back row. Both Seamus and Dean eyed each other sadly, wishing they could be near each other again. They even sent love notes to each other for fun, they didn't care if the professor caught them and read the whole notes out to the class.

The professor did catch a love note, smirked and read it out to the class, "Your eyes are the prettiest chocolate brown I've ever seen. I could get so caught up in them. When I snog you all I think of is how you would feel-. Alright!" he snapped. "Who the bloody hell wrote this!" His eye looked from one side of the room to the other and he caught a snickering Seamus winking at Dean. "Mr Finnegan! Stop writing such inappropriate notes!" The whole class laughed at the professor.

Harry sighed; this lesson was getting out of hand. He stole quick glances up at Draco who also glanced at Harry. Whenever they would meet eyes, they'd smile, blush and look away. That was until the professor made the spider jump onto Draco's head, causing him to also jump out of his seat in panic. Harry tried calming Draco down, he stood up to the professor and snapped, "Stop this now! You're hurting the spider and are endangering the lives of all of us students!"

Mad eye moody smirked at the boy and made the spider flew towards himself, landing on his desk. "Ah, it seems we have a celebrity in the classroom. Harry James Potter."

"And do not call me a celebrity!" Harry snapped at him. He hated being called all these names. "I wish I was just a normal wizard who goes to Hogwarts and has actual birth parent. I'm afraid that I can't have that wish. I have to deal with all these things that I cannot control in my Goddamn life all because of this fucking scar created by fucking Voldemort!"

Everyone in the room gasped at the name Harry said. Draco was just staring at Harry who said the Dark Lord's name in vain, and his eyes were a little wide. He was confused though, about the new word Harry used. What the hell does 'fucking' mean?

Hermione's lips parted at the bad muggle word her best friend used, and twice. She did not care about the fact that Harry said the Dark Lord's name as she's used to it now. She has never heard him lash out like this though.

"Very well, Mr Potter," the professor growled at the tone his student used at him. Merlin kids these days are just complaining machines.

Harry grudgingly sat back down. He couldn't believe the attitude he used against his Professor. He just feels so embarrassed right now as he'd nearly shouted at his professor. At least he didn't get a detention.

Draco frowned. If Harry wished that his life would be normal, would their friendship still be the same? Would he still share the same feelings for Harry? Well, of course, he would. Who doesn't love those spectacular green eyes...and those pretty soft lips...and his fluffy black hair?

Harry noticed Draco's frown and rubbed his cheek with his thumb. The blonde wizard looked up and nodded, non-verbally saying he's alright. Harry nodded and smiled, he looked over at Ron who looked at him and Draco with disgust, guilt, and... jealousy?

Harry sighed and scratched at his new cuts, the numb haze washed over him again and he felt that weird light and happy feeling again. He reluctantly paid no attention to the lesson; he did not want to learn about all these curses that would send someone to Azkaban if used.

As soon as class ended, Harry and Draco walked out of the room together. They headed down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Harry saw the nervous and frightened look on Draco's face, so he poked him on the arm. "You alright? You seem a little... anxious," he asked worriedly.

Draco nodded slightly. He just hated journalists who work for Witch Weekly. "Yeah, it's just..." He tried but hoped to Merlin that Harry wouldn't hate him for what he's about to admit. "That Rita lady came by the other day and asked us Slytherins about you."

Harry looked at him seriously, and a little curiously. His eyebrows were raised, showing Draco that he wanted to hear more about this. "What did she want to know?" he asked in a flat voice. "And why are you afraid of it?"

Draco sighed a little guiltily and he scratched the back of his neck. "She asked us random questions and Crabbe, Goyle and Nott said some cruel things about you," he told him. Why did he even follow Nott out of the castle for it? "Even Pansy and I had to answer some questions to not raise suspicion. The reason I am afraid of is knowing the articles she writes, they're full of lies and I don't want the article to ruin our relationship."

"Oh, Draco," Harry said carefully and rose his hands up to squeeze the Slytherin's shoulders reassuringly and to give his cheek a quick and lingering kiss. "I don't care about Rita's articles and you shouldn't either. I can deal with whatever comes out of those articles, whether their full of bias." Okay, maybe he can't deal with certain things that lower his self-esteem, but he can mask his emotions out. "And no matter what you say in the articles about me, I don't care. As long as there's nothing about my friends in them that would hurt them." He raised his eyebrows a little and crossed his arms over his chest. "There's nothing about my friends in these articles, right?"

Draco bit his lip; he knew there was something about Hagrid in there but didn't know if he was one of Harry's friends. He knows they talk about and when watching him through the years, he knows Harry sometimes goes down to the Professor's hut for some tea and biscuits.

"Draco...?" Harry asked seriously and wondered which one of his friends will be punished by rude words from the article that he hasn't had the chance of reading. Even if it was about Ron, he'd still back his mate up even though he said some rude words to him about sexuality. "Who was mentioned in that article besides me?"

"Professor Hagrid," Draco said softly and he rubbed his lower arm up and down nervously. He hated this. He wished he could go back in time and just not follow Nott out to the Courtyard where Rita Skeeter was.

Harry sighed tiredly and rubbed at his forehead. How did Rita even get inside the School without being seen by every student and Professor? "Were you the one who said anything about him?" he had to ask

Draco nodded slightly and bit his lip. "Yes, and I didn't want to say anything about him anyway. So, if there is something rude in the article, I'm really sorry and I'd do anything to make it up to you."

Harry cupped his hand over Draco's cheeks, hoping whatever's in the article isn't too bad. "It all depends on how bad the article is, Draco," he said while caressing his boyfriend's cheeks with his thumb. "But thanks for telling me this beforehand. Is there anything else I should know before reading the article?"

Draco shook his head, reached his hand up to Harry's hand on his cheek and pressed his hand to Harry's. He turned his head to the side and placed a kiss to the palm of Harry's hand. "I don't think so," he said softly. "Again, I'm really sorry Harry."

Harry drew lines with his finger across Draco's cheek, admiring the sharp cheekbones and jawbones he adores with all his heart. "I'm not the person who you should be apologizing to," he told him with a slight frown. "That shelf is for Hagrid."

Draco nodded and eventually took Harry's hands and intertwined them with his again as they continued walking to Magical Creatures. "I know, I will do that after class," he said in a promising tone.

Harry held out his pinky finger to Draco. They've never done this before. It's a first time for everything. "Do you promise, my dear one?"

Draco's frown turned into a small smile and he felt giddy as Harry called him a pet name. He also couldn't stop the heat and blush from rising up from his neck and to his face. He wrapped his pinky finger around Harry's and shook it. "I promise."

Harry smiled back at Draco. He was flabbergasted by Draco's handsomeness as the early sunlight bounced off his whiteish blonde hair and made his eyes sparkle like diamonds. He then leaned forward and placed a quick kiss to Draco's lips, and he tilted his head to the side and did it again.

Draco smiled as he leaned away from Harry's beautiful light and feathery kisses and he pressed his forehead to his boyfriends. "We should probably rush to class now as we don't want to be late," he whispered as he stared into bright green emerald eyes. "However, maybe I do want to be late if this is what you'll be giving me all morning."

Harry chuckled and rubbed their noses together. "Now, whatever is in that darn article you can apologize to," he said coolly. "I won't be mad at you because you told me, and you really are sorry and I thank you for that. He smiled and then he leaned in and kissed Draco's cheek. With a wink, he walked the rest of the way down to the Magical Creatures lesson.

Hagrid wasn't at his hut waiting outside for them. While there was Professor Grubbly-Plank, a witch introduced herself and said she would be teaching the lesson. She turned toward the paddocks and led them. Harry and the others stayed telling themselves what had happened to Hagrid.

Draco stood stuck to the floor, cupped his hand over his cheek where Harry kissed him and smiled. His mind was filled with the thoughts of the first hug he gave Harry, to the first kiss on the cheek, then their actual first kiss on the lips together. Smiling at Harry's figure walking away from him, he then made his way to the group of Slytherins while feeling the lingering kiss on his cheek.

The first person he laid eyes on was a pale-faced Pansy and Blaise. His anxiety and heart started beating fast against his chest, he hoped nothing was too absurd. Crabbe, Goyle and Nott were snickering at the article in their hands. Draco walked over to Blaise and read over the article. His face paled as he stared at the ground, he then looked up and stared into emerald green eyes.

Hermione poked Harry on the shoulder, grabbing his attention. She hadn't seen Hagrid anywhere and hoped he was alright. "Where do you think Hagrid is?" she asked worriedly and wrinkled her brow.

Harry knew for a fact that this would be because of the Slytherins and hoped Hagrid was okay. He simply shrugged at her question, "I'm not entirely sure, Hermione. Maybe we should check his hut after classes to see if he's home."

"Wondering where your precious teacher is?" Nott asked with a sneer, and his look at them radiated with superiority. "I think you should read this."

Harry looked back over at Draco; his face was as pale as Sir Headless Nick. He knew the article was bad, he just hoped it wasn't too bad and would cause Hagrid to stay inside his hut or even leave the school grounds.

Hermione had grabbed the copy of Daily Prophet from Nott and gasped at the title. If the title was bad, then she knew there must be worse things in the actual article. "Dumbledore's Giant Mistake." Hermione and Harry stood and read the article.

"How could they!" Hermione spat. "What difference does it make who his parents are?" She was angry. Harry read the quotes that Draco had given the newspaper and noticed there was definitely some Malfoyism but knew Draco wouldn't say anything really rude about Hagrid or his friends because of the truce. The Slytherins stood watching them. Goyle was laughing and reading his favorite bits of the article.

"Malfoy! "Ron shouted from beside Seamus and Dean with his own newspaper in his hands. He doesn't know what his mate sees in Malfoy at all and why he would be friends with someone who has biased opinions on other people. "How dare you tell such lies about our Professor!"

Harry just shook his head, remembering that Draco apologized for the article even before he saw it. "I don't believe Draco would say anything like that at all, Hermione," he said in a voice that's firm. "Because of the truce, he wouldn't because I know how much he cares about the relationship between us."

Hermione calmly nodded but she still was unsure about her friend being with Draco. But if Harry trusts him then she'll trust Draco a little bit. "Alright, if you are sure about this."

"I am sure, Hermione," Harry said with a strong nod and looked over at Draco who still appeared to be very pale. He'll probably have a talk with Draco when he's next alone with him. "Can't you see the look on his face?"

Hermione looked up at Draco and she noticed he looked extremely pale and Anxious. "He looks quite afraid," she said softly, then she looks back at Harry. "Why is that Harry? Why does he look afraid?"

"He believes I'll cut off the relationship between him and me because of the article," Harry said with a frown as he doesn't want that either. He wants the relationship with Draco to go on for as long as it can and hopefully that will be for a long time. He wants to get to know more of Draco and to maybe meet his mother and see what she's like.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, wondering if her best friend will actually break up with Malfoy. She doesn't exactly want the relationship Harry has with Draco to end because she sees how Harry looks at Malfoy. She sees the exact same with Malfoy. She sees love but doesn't want it to end in heartbreak. "So, will you break it off?"

Harry shook his head. He wouldn't even dare think about doing such a thing though it will just make him feel negative. "No, never," he said a little sadly at the thought of Draco hating him after breaking up with him and all he'll feel again is unloved. "You know how much I care for him; I'll do anything to help him and I know he'll do the same."

Hermione gave Harry a knowing smile as she enjoyed the way Harry shows his true feelings about Malfoy every so often when he's talking about him. "Do anything?" she asked him mockingly. "Hmm? Does that include kissing him on the cheek just up the pathway from Hagrid's Hut?"

Harry smiled a little and felt the heating sensation rise from his chest and up to his cheeks. Following the sensation was a blush that appeared on his face. "You saw that?" he asked shyly and rubbed at his forearm. He didn't even recognize the pain from doing that as he was distracted by Draco's looks and had him on his mind.

Hermione nodded her head, and she noticed the distant stare from Harry over her shoulder. She knew who her best friend was staring at and had a feeling he was thinking about the blonde Slytherin too. "Yes, and I think Pansy also saw it too."

Harry shrugged, not really caring if Pansy Parkinson saw. She seems like a cool girl since she's Draco's friends though he hasn't had any conversations with her. Perhaps he should though so he can get to know her and Ivy as well as Draco.

"Should we check on Hagrid to make sure he is all right?" Hermione suddenly asked and was too busy staring at Pansy Parkinson who's a little to the left of Malfoy. The Slytherin girl seemed a bit pale to the face too.

Harry followed Hermione up the steps to Hagrid's cabin. There was no answer to their pounding on Hagrid's door. They suspected that he was in there but there was nothing they could say to get him to open the door. They gave up and walked back to the castle. Harry retreated to the library to study, he just wanted some alone time to get his mind of things.

He really wasn't angry at anyone except Crabbe, Goyle and Nott because of the article. The other thing was Draco and how he reacted after Harry kissed his cheek. He hoped it didn't do anything to their relationship, he didn't even know why he did it. Was it just to reassure Draco that he was okay with the article? Well, the article was very hurtful to Hagrid, but he knew it wasn't Draco's fault.

*****

Harry tried to study, but he just couldn't. His mind was too focused on the second task which is in a few weeks' time. He wasn't really feeling hungry at all either, so he decided to take a walk around the castle to try to clear his mind of all stress. He saw a bunch of students walking fast-paced like there was something exciting going on and he decided to follow them as he was looking for something to do.

He was around the Viaduct entrance when all of a sudden, he saw a flash of white and could hear something squealing very loudly and a bunch of students laughing. The squealing was very familiar to him like he's heard it before.

"Professor Moody, no!" shouted a familiar feminine voice and she had her hands stretched out in front of her like she was trying to catch something. The girl had black wavy hair and unnatural blue eyes. It was Ivy Black. "Put him down, or at least give him to me."

Professor Moody looked downright agitated that Ivy had ruined his plan on revenge for what looked like a whiteish blonde coloured ferret but was actually a student.

"Why is there a ferret?" asked Harry, to a bunch of students around him. He had to admit that it was an adorable ferret and if it wasn't anybody's he would keep it. He could picture himself with the ferret on his shoulder or have it on a leash and take it for walks around Hogwarts. It'd be so cute though!

"That's Malfoy," a fluffy-haired Hermione came out of nowhere, looking amused but also sorry for the white-blonde ferret who's Draco Malfoy. "He got turned into a ferret by Professor Moody because he nearly cast a spell on some second year."

"Oh," Harry said and really thought twice about adopting the ferret. But a ferret as a boyfriend would be a little difficult. "To be honest, he does look quite adorable as a pet ferret. In fact, if anybody won't turn him back, I might actually adopt him."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with a disappointed shake of her head and slapped Harry behind his head with one of her books, making him hiss in pain. "How would you feel if you got turned into an animal by someone?" Then she suddenly was looking over her shoulder.

Harry was about to say something but saw Hermione look over at someone. He tried to see where Hermione was looking, and he then caught a glimpse of Pansy Parkinson giggling with her Slytherin friends. He watched Hermione sigh dreamily like she was deep in thought. He half-smiled at her, "So, Pansy is it?"

"Of course, It's Pansy," Hermione said with a smile towards the Slytherin girl. She could probably faint from the sight of Pansy back in her Yule Ball dress again. "She's downright beautiful! Didn't you see her at the Yule Ball? That dress she was wearing looked so amazing on her but everything it seems looks incredible on her."

"You should go and talk with her, I've heard that she's a Lesbian," Harry said and wiggled his eyebrows at her. He could see Hermione starting to blush, so he shoved her towards where Pansy was. "Come on, Hermione. Go to her!"

"Harry!" Hermione spat but couldn't help the laughter though the closer she got to Pansy the more nervous she became. "I swear, I'll- I'll- I'll," she stopped, forcing Harry to let go, and she took a deep breath as she looked at him. "I will come after you if this doesn't go as planned."

"Okay then," Harry said with a hint of fear in his tone, turning away from the angry Hermione. He watched Hermione progress towards Pansy, at first it looked like Pansy didn't want to see Hermione but that changed as Pansy's girlfriends all decided to leave them be. He then turned to look back at the angry-looking whiteish blonde ferret who looked adorable. It was Draco and he just wanted to hold him.

As soon as Moody saw Professor McGonagall a corridor away he finally agreed to levitate the ferret into Ivy's hands. "Alright, you lot," he grumbled at the students surrounding the courtyard. "Clear off, clear off!" He steered all the students in the courtyard to go elsewhere, leaving just Harry, Ivy and Draco the ferret alone together.

"Harry, come over here," Ivy shouted but turned around to look at Harry who he made his way towards her. She held her cousin gently in her hands, trying not to squeeze him too much. The thought of doing so made her shudder. "Don't worry Draco, we'll fix you," she whispered to the fluffy ferret's fury ears with a cheeky smile.

"So, uh... how are we going to fix this ferret?" Harry then asked as he looked down at his ferret boyfriend. The ferret squeaked at him like he was trying to talk with him. He then corrected himself. "I mean Draco." He smiled at his adorable and little boyfriend. "Well, hello little Dwayco."

Draco the ferret gave Harry a pissed look and hissed at him. He folded his tiny little ferret arms against his chest like an angry toddler and looked the other way. Harry chuckled with pure adoration and gave Draco the ferret a little scratch behind its ears. Draco uncrossed his little ferret arms and gave a little purr at the incredible feeling of being petted.

"You're just so darn cute," Harry said sweetly to the ferret, ignoring the fact that Ivy was beside him and giggling uncontrollably. If Draco was back to normal, he'd be blushing so much from that compliment Harry gave him. Harry looked around the corridors, seeing nobody in sight and when Ivy handed him the ferret, he took him and held him in his hands. What he didn't think Ferrets are is flexible and he found out he could bend Draco in so many different ways, but he was careful when doing so.

Ivy laughed a little mischievously and petted her ferret cousin on the head. "He's a little cat snake," she said with a soft expression and didn't see Harry looking at her oddly at the name she called her cousin. "A noodle bear, and a four-legged floof noodle."

She then suddenly got an idea. It was a good idea too which she knows will work. It just has to. Harry looked confused at her and scared for what Ivy might make him do. Then she spat out what she's been wanting to say. Or what she wants Harry to do. "Harry, I dare you to kiss him."

Draco the ferret squeaked at this proposal. Yes, he would like to kiss his boyfriend but not like this, as a ferret. He wanted his human body back. He did not want to stay as this fluffy ferret for any longer even if he enjoyed the attention Harry gave him.

Harry felt his heart race in his chest as she said that. He's kissed Draco dozens of times but not like this. He's never kissed a ferret before. Not even Draco as an animal. This is definitely a first for him. Would this really be the way he and Draco come out to her? But what's most important is how he and Ivy will change Draco back. He doesn't know the Counter-curse to the spell so she might do. No, she would do. Then he realized she probably just wants him to kiss Draco so after she can cast the counter-curse. If this is how he'll come out to her then so be it.

Harry sighed and regretted what he was about to say since Draco's never heard him say this at all. "Well then, might as well get it over and done with," he said and tickled the ferret's belly, making Draco the ferret emits almost chuckling sounds. "Draco I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time." He winked at the ferret. "You know Draco, dancing with you at the Yule Ball was amazing, something I've never done before. It was such an amazing night."

Draco the ferret froze as he knew that Harry Potter was going to kiss him. Well, not technically him, but a ferret version of him. He gave both an excited and startled squeak. It was so nice hearing all that come out of Harry's mouth, and that Harry's liked him for a long time even if he knew that already. He so wanted to reply back but all he could do was squeak.

"Here goes nothing," Harry whispered and rolled his eyes. He leaned towards the ferret, then gave the ferret a kiss under the nose, which turned out to be the mouth. Suddenly, in a flash, the ferret that had been held and kissed by Harry transformed back into the Draco Malfoy. Instead of feeling fluffy fur, Harry felt actual lips on his own, kissing him back, so softly and demandingly. His heart was beating quickly in his chest. He had butterflies fluttering around wildly in his stomach and he just didn't want to let go of this beautiful moment.

Draco's lips were so warm and moist, and Harry couldn't help but cling to them. He could still taste that delicious vanilla taste from Draco's lips. Draco slowly raised his hands to gently touch and hold Harry's cheeks. Harry's cheek felt so warm and soft against his own hand. He then slowly moved his hands to the back of Harry's head to pull Harry closer to him and to deepen the kiss. Harry let out a slight "mmm" and he could feel Draco smiling as they continued to kiss.

Ivy smiled sweetly at the two boys snogging in front of her. "True loves kiss," she said a little quietly. "I've seen all the muggle fairy tale stories and oh my god I think they're real. It's where if you get cursed, the only way to break the curse is if your true love kisses you." She was watching them the whole time and looked so pleased with herself. She finally got them to kiss again. Now, she was waiting for Draco to ask Harry out which will hopefully be soon.

Harry and Draco broke out of the kiss, blushing madly and staring into each other's eyes. Draco was still holding Harry's cheek, and they both were ignoring Ivy's girly squeal. Harry decided to end the silence by intertwining their hands together and saying, "Well, my dear. I believe we should tell her." Harry had noticed that Draco's robes surprisingly seemed the same as they were at class. Ironed, and neat even after the transformation. Or should it be Transfurmation?

Draco blushed yet again but not just from the pet name. It was from the realization that a kiss from Harry could turn him back and he smiled like there was no tomorrow. A true love's kiss. He and Harry turned to look at a giggling Ivy. "I believe we should, my darling," he said and watched as Harry's beautiful lips part and a blush spreads up his boyfriend's face.

"OH MY GOD!" Ivy practically screamed and began her uncontrollable giggling again. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" She began fanning herself with her hands while tears escaped her eyes. "H-How long has this been going on for? Oh, I need to tell Pansy this right away! But more importantly how long have you two been a thing under my nose?"

"Since Christmas," Harry says with a bright smile and he turns his head to look at Draco, giving him a kiss on the jawline. "Draco here is the one who asked me out. It was a total surprise, of course. I thought I must have been dreaming. It happened and I couldn't be happier to be with you, Draco Lucius Malfoy." He slid his arms around his boyfriend's neck, watching tears pool up in those silver eyes and he leaned forward, kissing him slowly with love and tenderness.

Draco kissed back but he just wanted it to be a quick peck. Harry then looked up at Draco's white-blonde hair was all messy, it looked rather hot like that. He remembered he was staring... again. But he loves staring at his boyfriend. "I- Um, Draco, I-," He stuttered, and Draco pressed his finger to Harry's lips, hushing him.

Harry tried to look at Draco's finger on his lips but couldn't stop staring into his Silvery eyes. Those eyes reminded him of the moon, and how beautiful it is shining at night with the many thousands of stars glimmering beside it. He remembered all those summers after getting his letter to Hogwarts, being alone at night with the Dursleys. How he could never sleep, so he just looked at the moon. Watching its beautiful glare in the night sky and watching all the bats fly by.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts as Draco said, "I've always wanted to kiss you since forever." He may as well admit a few things like Harry did. "Every morning I would have loved to just meet you in the Great Hall and kiss you good morning." He smiled at Harry sweetly, looking into his beautiful emerald green eyes.

Harry blushed darker, and he bites his lip when staring at his boyfriend. "So, what exactly happens now?" he asked and decides to lay his head on Draco's shoulder and just let it rest there while he smells the scents of his boyfriend.

Harry and Draco's adorable moment was interrupted by a sweet, beautiful voice, singing the most muggle song ever. "True love, I know I had it," Ivy sang, swaying from side to side like she was on a stage singing to an audience. "True love, it's so hard to find. True love, if I can get it back, I'd never let it go this time. True love is in inspiration. True love, it was mine oh mine. True love, if I can get it back, I'd never let it go this time. Oh, I'd, never let it go this time."

Harry let his hands go from Draco's neck and turned around. He then clapped at her singing and remembered a faint memory of Ivy singing in the Great Hall this morning. "Bravo, that was beautiful!" he said and beamed towards her, and then at Draco. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

Ivy smiled shyly and she chuckled a little. "Oh, I... I've always been, and I quote, a good singer," she told them. She is still not used to the compliments. "I've been able to sing since I was a toddler. I guess someone else in the Black family has a good voice."

"That makes sense," Harry said with a little firm nod. "I heard from Lupin that Sirius use to sing in the shower back at Hogwarts back in their days. Apparently, he sounds like a dying cat but when he hits the right tune, he can definitely impress a lot of people. I haven't heard his singing, of course. But I bet he's good at it."

"Mother has definitely been singing for a while too as she's got a beautiful voice," Draco said while remembering his mother singing lullabies to him as a child. He doesn't remember all of them but knows a few. Seemingly, they've been sung in the family for centuries.

"I guess all the Blacks have amazing singing voices," Harry said and looked back into his boyfriend's silvery eyes which sparkled under the sunlight. "So, Draco... can you sing like your mother and Sirius?"

"Honestly, I haven't tried singing at all," Draco said and moved his hands down Harry's neck and his back until he was holding him by the waist. The Gryffindor moved closer into the embrace and was pretty much hugging Draco. "I've never thought about singing at all."

Harry nods and really wonders if Draco can sing. But then a different topic comes into his mind. It was about their relationship. "About our relationship now, are we going to keep this a secret, or can we come out to everyone? "

Draco actually didn't know about how he can answer Harry's question. His father already knows so there isn't really any point in keeping the relationship a secret. "My father is slowly trying to accept me for liking guys," he said and for once he is proud of his father. "For liking you. However, we should keep it from Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and other Slytherins. Pansy we can trust. It's just Crabbe, Goyle and Nott who will spit out our relationship to Rita Skeeter. I don't exactly want our relationship to go global yet."

"I understand that and your decision, Draco," Harry said firmly and leaned away from the hug. He reached down and intertwined their hands together and gave their intertwined hands a light squeeze. "I don't exactly want Rita knowing of our relationship either. It'll spread like wildfire and more people would know each hour."

"Yeah," said Draco with a short little nod and he smiled when Harry's green eyes gleamed like there really is a wildfire in that mind and eyes of his. It was beautiful to him. "Oh, and just so Ivy knows, what happened between you and Weasel?"

"Well, he didn't take it too well when I came out to him," Harry said a felt the heaviness in his heart come back after a while. He looked looking down at his shoes, thinking over the argument he had with Ron this morning. He scratched at his cuts from under his sleeves but made it seem like a normal gesture. The numb wave immediately hit him and relieved the wretchedness from inside him.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, Harry," Ivy said with a frown as she kind of knew what it was like. She's had students calling her named behind her back all because of her sexuality. But when she's with older people or people her age who are a part of the LGBTQ+ group, the rude homophobic people stay away and don't say anything. She feels rather protected amongst her group.

"We're sorry that happened to you, Harry," Draco said while distractingly brushing a strand of Harry's Raven coloured locks out of his eyes. He was right, Weasel didn't take it well when Harry came out.

"Yeah, it's fine," Harry lied to them as he didn't want them to worry about him. Honestly, it hurt like hell that Ron would say something so hurtful. "By the way, what happened with that second year? Why did you try to hex them?"

Draco sighed a little heavily and knew he should not lie to Harry about certain things that happen. "They found out I was gay, Harry," he said while bringing Harry closer to him. "Wouldn't you do anything to make sure they wouldn't tell anyone?"

Harry nodded, understanding how it feels to have the wrong person know about his own deepest darkest secret. "Yeah, I would do something about it, but I wouldn't go around hexing them. I know it's a very Gryffindor thing to do, but even I know when to stop. I'd just ask them kindly to keep it a secret and give them a favour in return such as do their homework for a week or help them with spells for Charms and Transfiguration."

Draco raised an eyebrow, not knowing if he should be angry at Harry for regarding him as a Gryffindor or impressed with him for using his Slytherin side to work things out with others if he was in that situation. "I was a little too anxious about them telling the outside world than to make a deal with the second year I nearly hexed."

Harry's stomach then rumbled, and it vibrated through Draco's stomach, making the Slytherin chuckle and Harry just smiled. "I missed lunch and breakfast," he told them and patted his stomach with his free hand. "I can take us all to the kitchens if you'd like. I know how to get inside."

"Yeah, being a ferret makes me hungry," Draco said and felt his stomach rumble in agreement. He heard sniggering beside him and turned his head, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend and his cousin. "Oh, sod off! You two try being transformed into a stinking animal for an hour." It just made Harry and Ivy laugh at him some more.

Harry let the two Slytherins to the kitchen, trying to avoid other students who would raise suspicion of where they're going. It took a couple of minutes to get there, the three of them stopping at the portrait of a fruit bowl.

"So... what now?" asked Draco who was looking around for oncoming students. There weren't any so he looked back at the portrait, a little confused about why they're here. But then Harry winked at him, and of course, he blushed and watched Harry as he began tickling the pear situated in the fruit bowl. The portrait swung open to reveal a passageway that led to the kitchens. Harry, followed by Ivy, followed by Draco walked through the passageway into the kitchen.

"What would you guys like?" Harry then asked the two Slytherins and led them over to the long table towards the centre of the kitchen. He looked behind him at the Slytherins who were looking around the room in awe and he smiled at them.

"Spaghetti Bolognese, please," Ivy said while she was licking her lips hungrily and sat down at the table. There was garlic in the meal she wanted, she knew that but she can easily stomach it. She forgot the House-Elves were here in the kitchens with them as she could hear the clatter of utensils and pans, but the elves were out of sight.

"Same as Ivy, I guess," Draco said with a light shrug and sat down next to Harry. He really didn't know what he wanted to eat for dinner. There were so many options in which he could choose from, but it was better if the elves didn't have to make three batches of different food for three people.

"Dobby?!" Harry called out into the kitchen for the elf he's good friends with. In a second the house-elf named Dobby whipped out of nowhere and onto the top of the table the three were seated at. Draco thought he recognized the house-elf from somewhere band he couldn't tell where he saw the elf from.

"Hello, Master Harry Potter," said Dobby in his normal excited tone when seeing the person who freed him. "How can Dobby be at service to Harry Potter?"

"Can you please bring us 3 small bowls each of Spaghetti Bolognese?" Harry asked his elf friend though he knew Dobby still thought as him as a master. He didn't want to be the master to anyone. He's just Harry.

"Yes, Master Harry, Sir," Dobby said with a nod and a little bow in which his nose nearly touched the floor. He then looked up and over besides Harry to see two other people, but they weren't Ron and Hermione. His eyes widened in panic at the sight of Draco Malfoy and he backed away.

Draco now remembered where that house-elf came from: Malfoy manor. He smiled and waved at the elf with grace. He never thought he would see his house-elf ever again.

"M-Mister Harry Potter sir," Dobby said in a shaky and scared tone. He's scared of what might happen since his old master is here. "M-Mister Malfoy is behind you."

"It's alright Dobby," Harry assured him softly and gave his bald head a pat like he would to a dog. "Draco is a friend." He looked beside him at his boyfriend and smiled. "Actually, Draco Malfoy is more than a friend to me."

Draco smiled back at Harry and he laced their fingers together from under the table. To show the elf what Harry meant by 'more than a friend', he leaned to his side and kissed Harry's cheek. He then trailed kisses from Harry's cheek, down to his jawbones and eventually to his neck. Harry closed his eyes and gave into this pleasure of Draco kissing his neck in all the right places and it just sent shivers down his spine every time he finds that one spot on his neck which sends him into heaven. It just feels so good to him.

"Yes, sir," Dobby said quickly and hurried into the kitchens to make the required food that he was ordered to. He was weirded out by the neck kissing Draco was giving Harry. He's never seen any of his previous masters do that, but this was nice to hear.

"He's so adorable!" Ivy said sweetly and smiled as she rested her head on her elbows as they crossed over the table. She watched the little house elf run into the kitchens on his tiny feet. "I could hug him."

Draco laughed at the thought of someone hugging a house-elf as he leaned away from Harry's neck. Is that even possible? But he wouldn't caught dead hugging a bloody house elf. It's disgusting. It's probably like hugging a rat. They are slaves after all. "You can if you want to, but I don't think house-elves are too keen on hugging."

"And why is that?" Ivy asked harshly and looked beside Harry at her cousin. Why can't she hug elves? In fact, have elves been hugged before?

"You kind of remind me of Hermione and her S.P.E.W. thing," said Harry and smiles as a little. She does remind him of Hermione, but he knows Ivy's probably not interested in learning as much as Hermione does. But the two care for house-elves as it seems.

"Spew?" Draco asked and raised his eyebrow at Harry. He's so confused, and he knows Ivy is to. He really doesn't need to know if Granger spews though, or anybody else for that matter. "What are you talking about?"

"No," Harry said and shook his head at his confused boyfriend. He finds it adorable when Draco's confused "It's spelt as S. P. E. W. It has got something to do with house-elves and how they should be earning Galleons because they work. Like the Hogwarts house-elves for example."

"Hermione is definitely smart and caring about all creatures," Ivy said as she remembers meeting the bushy-haired Gryffindor during the Yule Ball by Pansy. "She's quite hot though, for a bookworm and a complete nerd."

Harry and Draco looked at each other and laughed. "Yeah, well..." Harry says and brings his and Draco's intertwined hands up onto the table. He places a little kiss to Draco's knuckles, making Draco smile and so he continued. "She's got her eyes on someone else. A certain Slytherin."

Ivy sighed with her hand cupping her cheek. "I know," she said and starts drawing invisible shapes on the table with her finger as if her finger was a pen. "A certain Slytherin has her eyes on Hermione too. My friend Pansy Parkinson."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Harry said and remembered Hermione looking across the table at Pansy so many times. "Everyone knows those two are meant for each other. Those two need to get together some time, they practically boil their eyes into the back of one another's heads when the other's not looking in class or the Great Hall."

A familiar little house elf come running up to the three students with three bowls of Spaghetti Bolognese levitating in the air. Dobby jumped on top of the table and made his way to them. "Harry Potter sir, Dobby has your Spaghetti here, and for Harry Potters friends.". He levitated the three bowls of Spaghetti Bolognese towards the two wizards and witch, levitating a fork each besides the bowls.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said gratefully while grabbing a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese and a fork from in the air. It was an odd way to receive food, but he liked it. There was melted cheese on top of the meat and that just made it a whole lot better. Nobody can have Spaghetti Bolognese without having cheese on top.

"Thank you, little Elfey," Ivy said with a satisfied smile at the small elf and she reached over and patted him on the head just like Harry did earlier. "You're a nice little one and I hope to god that you get paid enough for working here."

Dobby grinned at Ivy, already beginning to warm up to her even if he could sence the other side of her. "Dobby likes her, she is very nice," The house-elf said and glanced at Draco, looking for some sort of sign for mischief but there wasn't any that he could see.

"Thank you," Draco said to the elf for his assistance in giving and making them food. It's not the first time he's ever thanked a house-elf. The house-elves at the manor he gives his gratitude to since they are doing stuff for him like getting him food or doing his laundry.

"Harry Potter and his friends are all welcome," Dobby said and bowed down to them, his nose touching the table, but it seemed he didn't mind. "Is there anything else Dobby can get you?"

"No thanks," Ivy said and looked at Harry and to Draco who all looked happy and hungry. They were also shaking their heads as they were stuffing their mouths with spaghetti. "I believe we're all good. Thanks again, Dobby."

Dobby nodded and then wandered off back into the kitchen, waiting for the three to finish eating and distracting his mind by helping his fellow house-elves clean the dishes.

"Elfey?" Draco asked immediately, looking at Ivy like she was some little girl. Who would call an elf that? Well, he does remember his mother saying that he used to call every house elf he sees 'Snuggllelump'. "Seriously?"

Ivy looked over at Draco and shrugged. These names the house-elves are given are a little weird. "What?" she asks him and forces her eyebrows together. "I feel sorry for the elf as he has to work all day and night."

"He doesn't have to work all day and night, " Harry said earnestly. "He does it by choice." The two Slytherins looked up from their meals and Harry chuckled as he twirled his fork around in the sauce covered spaghetti and looked at Draco, "I freed him, remember?"

"Ah, yes," Draco said softly with a smirk, remembering when his father cornered him in a corridor sometime during his second year and told him that they've lost a house-elf to a sock. Not only that, but he lost his house-elf. "The elf I always talked to you about."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend, which he then asked, "You talked about me to a house-elf?" Then it hit him as he remembered his second year. Of course! Dobby had come from the Malfoy's. He pondered what Dobby can tell him about Draco's family.

"He sure did," Ivy said and she saw her cousin glaring at her. She only smiled at him and continued eating her dinner. She didn't have anything else to say to them actually.

Harry smiled and returned the favor by kissing Draco on the cheek. The Slytherin blushed while feeling his pulse racing and just as Harry leaned away from his cheek, Draco quickly moved his head towards Harry and kissed him with passion. Harry smiled into the kiss, feeling his heart hammering against his chest, and he tilted his head to the side while kissing his boyfriend back tenderly.

Ivy smiled at the two. She was so damn proud of Draco for finally completing the promise without her help. She couldn't help but let out a tiny squeal. Draco and Harry would have laughed at the squealing girl beside them but was too lost in kissing each other until they had to stop for air. Both of their lips were bright pink from kissing each other as were their cheeks with a blush. They stole quick kisses from each other and then continued slurping their Spaghetti.

"Merlin's Beard! This really is amazing," Draco said after a while of savoring every slurp of spaghetti. It's a delicious food that he's had rarely in his life, but he hopes to have more of this delicious delicacy.

"It's like you've never had Spaghetti Bolognese before," Ivy said in disbelief with a slow shake of her head. She just doesn't believe her cousin has never had spaghetti Bolognese before. It's a quite popular dish to have, even in British restaurants. In fact, the meal is international.

"Well, it's not my fault my family are rich and only eat weird expensive meals," Draco retaliated back and he looked at the table with disgust. It was his version of torture. He still to this day cannot get the thought of his father putting those snails on his plate and he had to eat them. "I've even tried snails once in Paris. "

"Eww!" Harry said in a disgusted tone and covered his mouth with his hand. He was regretting kissing Draco now. "You've eaten snails? How disgusting! But since I know snail is a popular meal in France what are they like?"

"Disgusting," Draco said with a scowl and played with the spaghetti in his bowl with his fork, trying to decide if he can stomach eating more spaghetti or if he has lost his appetite. " It is like eating jelly slugs but they're slimier. I prefer actual filling meals like this delicacy."

Harry tried finishing his own Spaghetti Bolognese but was only able to eat half of it. "That was delicious!" He said with a lick of his lips and smiled. Though he wished he could eat the whole bowl. He doesn't want it going to waste.

"Yeah, it was," Draco said and peeked into Harry's bowl, seeing as it is half empty. "You've only eaten half of your meal, Harry." He sounded worried, especially since he never saw Harry eat breakfast. This just wasn't a healthy eating habit at all. He needed his boyfriend to eat a healthy size of food since he skipped the two main meals of the day. Maybe Madam Pomfrey has potions in stock that would be good for Harry.

Harry did a quick 'Tempus' and it told him it was nearly 4:00 PM. Time really does fly when you're having fun or with people. "Well, I guess I have to go now," he said and sounded like he didn't want to go at al and that was true. He didn't want to go at all, but he had a dorm mate to talk with, so he got up from his seat and went over to Draco.

Draco and Ivy looked at each other with blank expressions on their faces. They were confused and a little sad that Harry wanted to leave early. Did he have something to do? Was he meeting anyone?

"Oh, okay then," Ivy said and got up from her seat to give harry a light hug before he had to go for whatever reason he had. "I'll see you later, Harry. Stay safe and be happy for me." She leaned away from the hug and smiled at him. "Remember that you're not the only homosexual in Hogwarts so Ron Weasley's words don't only affect you. It affects all of us. And don't think that it's your fault he's acting this way. It's his choice if he decides to be a homophobic shithead."

Harry laughed at her words and what she called Ron. He hasn't heard anybody in Hogwarts swear using muggle language before. Not even Hermione he's heard swearing from. It's like she's a Christian or has Christian parents.

"Harry do you have to go?" Draco asked him sadly and pouted a little at him. Why does he have to go? Does his boyfriend have something important to do? What's more important than himself? "And why do you have to go?"

"I have to go because I'm going to get help with the second task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry said and watched Draco stand up and come towards him. He placed his arms around the blonde Slytherin's waist and smiled. "It's with Neville. I'm meeting with him because he's making Gilly weed for me."

"What has Gillyweed got to do with the task, Harry?" Ivy asked him while crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side. "More importantly, what is the task you'll have to do in a month's time?"

Harry turned his head to the side and looked at her with a slight frown, wondering if he's allowed to tell them about the task. The professors won't find out anyway and who is going to tell on him. "All I know is the task has something to do with the Black Lake," he told them. "It appears to me and Neville that something I'll surely miss will be in the Black Lake and I'll have an hour to retrieve that special item. I still don't know what that item will be. But right now, I need to go. I hope you both have a great New Year's Eve celebration!"

"Oh," said Draco and he began to think if Longbottom was right about the task or if he missed something. And New Years Eve? Is it that time already? He doesn't exactly celebrate it as it just means another year has come. "I'll see you tomorrow during breakfast then. Have a great New Year's Eve, Harry."

Harry smiled and gave Draco a quick kiss goodbye and a Happy New Year's Eve before leaving the kitchen to go to the Gryffindor common room. He made his way through the portrait hole before it managed to close. He hurried off towards the Gryffindor tower and making sure to not get caught by Filch, or worse, Snape.

Harry came up to the Fat Lady's portrait, said the password and went directly to the dormitory. He looked around, seeing Seamus sitting on Deans lap and snogging the hell out of each other. He then went up to boy's dormitory, leaving Seamus and Dean to continue kissing.

Harry raced up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, seeing Neville sitting on his bed with a jar of what looks like green rat tails in water. "Neville?" he asked and stared at the green thing in the jar with disgust. Was that Gillyweed?

Neville looked up at him with a nervous smile. "Yes, I have the Gilly Weed," he told Harry and hoped Professor Snape won't find out that he had to sneak into his potions storage room just to get the Gillyweed. "But make sure you take it before you get into the water and it will hopefully last for an hour."

"Hopefully?" Harry asked worriedly with a stiff neck and a watery gaze. He couldn't think of what would happen if the Gillyweed didn't work or if he ran out of time. Goodbye life. That's what would happen? But would that be what he's wanted all his teenage life? To just die. But there's Draco, and Ivy. Wouldn't they miss him? "What about an actual hour, Neville?"

"It's what the book says," Neville says decisively but also a little tensely. "It should last for an hour. Make sure when you consume it you go under the water right away otherwise you will start choking above the water. Oh, and I can take care of the Gillyweed until you need it as I know what it's requirements are to stay fresh, so it lasts until when you need it."

"Thank you, Neville," Harry says with a nod of appreciation but wondered how his dorm mate was able to get the Gillyweed. He didn't want to ask questions though. He then felt like there was something missing in him. Well, a someone. "I'm going to go for a walk." He had gone over to his own bed and began searching through his trunk. "See you later!"

Neville smiled at his dormmate and gave him a small wave goodbye. He had a feeling who Harry was going to meet by just 'going for a walk'. "Goodbye, Harry. Don't come too late if you'll be spending the rest of the evening with your boyfriend."

Harry had grabbed his invisibility cloak and wand when he heard Neville say that and he hesitated. He looked to the other side of the room where Neville was and furrowed his eyebrows. "You know about me and Draco as well?"

Neville nodded at him. "It's not really hard to miss, Harry," he said earnestly. "I've seen you guys kiss more than once and let me ask you this: Do friends kiss each other like they're in love with the other? No, I don't believe so. I've seen the way you look at each other too. It's just too obvious."

Harry smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, still wondering how many people know of the relationship he has with Draco. "I guess I can't say that he and I aren't together then?" When Neville shook his head, Harry went out of the dormitory and started heading down towards the Slytherin Dungeons.

-

"Are you going to tell any other Slytherins about you and Harry?" Ivy asked him carefully though she knew the answer. Pansy and Blaise were sure to know about this someday. If he won't tell them then she will.

Draco thought about that, really thought about that and who he can tell. He trusts Pansy and Blaise, just not Gregory, Vincent, and Theodore. "Yeah, I trust Pansy and Blaise more than anyone." He looked at his cousin who glared at him and crossed her arms. He half-smiled at her. "Except for you, of course."

"Better," Ivy said flatly and unfolding her arms with a smile. "We should get going to bed too." She felt a little tired after an hour anyway and decided to head to the Slytherin dorms, taking her cousin by the hand with her out of the portrait.

-

Harry was waiting by the Slytherin common room entrance for Draco under his invisibility cloak. He needed him, he wanted to spend the night with him, he wanted his first New Year's to be with Draco. Do wizards celebrate the New Year's though? He hoped he wasn't late to see Draco but as soon as he heard footsteps, he walked over to them and saw exactly who he was looking for. Except Draco was with Ivy.

He quickly took off his invisibility cloak and ran up to them, wrapping his arms around the blonde Slytherin and leaning forward to kiss him softly. Draco pinned Harry against the wall while kissing him back and entwined their hands together. The kiss was filled with passion, lust, and love. Everything that both boys wanted. As soon as they were out of breath, they pulled apart. "What are you doing here, Harry?" he asked softly through deep breaths.

Harry smiled and leaned forward until his forehead was touching Draco's. Little did he know he was being watched by an older Slytherin by the name of Ivy Black, but he really didn't mind. "Had," He gave him a kiss. "To." A kiss. "Come." Another kiss. "Find." And another kiss. "You."

"And why?" Draco kissed him with a smile. He is glad Harry's here. "Is that?"

"Just follow me, Draco," Harry said in a quiet voice with a wink, wrapping his invisibility cloak around them to keep them hidden from the rest of the world and they made their way to the Transfiguration Courtyard together. When they reached the blank wall, Harry opened it up with "Alohomora!" and they snuck inside, hearing the wall close from behind. They both walked down the tunnel which now lights itself up and entered through the big blue door, Draco saying the spell "Apertio!"

As they got inside and heard the dark blue door close behind them, they leaned towards each other and locked lips. The invisibility cloak slipped off them and Harry chucked it to his side and didn't really care where it went. Harry slowly made his way to the bed while walking backwards, pulling Draco with him and he never stopped kissing his boyfriend until Draco pulled back just an inch and had to ask, "Isn't a little early for... you know?"

Harry smiled and shook his head. He took off his school robe, only leaving him in his uniform and climbed onto the bed. "I wasn't thinking about that, Draco," He said as he turned around, looking back at his boyfriend. "I just wanted to spend the night with you again and when we wake, I would like to kiss you good morning."

Draco climbed onto the bed and sat next to Harry. He reached for Harry's hand and held it in his. "That makes sense as I was also thinking that exact same thing," he said earnestly with a little nod. "I would also love to wake up with you by my side, Harry."

Harry smiled and gave Draco's hand a little squeeze. Could it be true that Draco actually thought the same as him? He then bit his lip as he didn't know if he should tell Draco what was on his mind or not or not. Oh well, act first think later is the Gryffindor way. "Remember the time when making the sleeping potion?" He watched as Draco nodded at him and accompanied by the nod was a little smile. "Yeah... well, I... erm... I kissed you when you were under the effect of the potion."

Draco's lips parted slightly and then turned into a smirk. He remembers telling Ivy and Pansy about it and then they tell him about sleeping potions and what kind he took. "I know, I could feel it. I didn't take enough of the potion to actually fall asleep for an hour though."

Harry felt the warmth rise up from his chest to his neck and with it, a blush that appeared on his cheeks. "Oh, why didn't you kiss me back then?"

Draco smiled at the memory of the dream he had about Harry kissing him. Only now he wished he could have kissed Harry back in surprise, but he actually likes how fate brought him and Harry together in its own way. "For me, it was like I was dreaming but could actually feel you kiss me. I couldn't kiss back, I would have, though. Just to get your reaction."

Harry chuckled and leaned in for a kiss like it was the first kiss they both missed on the day they were talking about. He moved closer to his blonde boyfriend and lowered his back down to the Duna of the bed, taking Draco with him so the Slytherin's on top of him. Draco had to hold onto Harry's neck as he was being lowered down on top of Harry and he placed both his legs on either side of Harry's waist. He trailed his hand down Harry's neck, to his back and down to his thighs.

Harry felt a shiver run through him. It wasn't a cold shiver but a pleasured shiver from the touch Draco was giving him. He curled his hands in Draco's jumper and pulled the Slytherin's head down so he could kiss him. They continued to kiss until they ran out of air then they pulled out and never lost eye contact.

Draco stared down at Harry's lips and then looked back up into emerald green irises. "I love your smile and your eyes," he admits softly with a loving smile." I love it when your eyes sparkle every time you smile, Harry. It's like a breath of fresh air to me. I love everything about you. Your smile was the beginning of my love towards you."

Harry knew his face was becoming redder the minute just because of the compliments Draco was feeding him with. Even though everything Draco has said is sort of schmaltzy, he loves it with every part of him. "I love your smile too, Draco. I know that forever was in your eyes the moment I first saw your smile."

Draco smiled, clearly liking how flustered he could make his Harry. It reminded him of the compliment he gave Harry earlier today before going to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Have you ever notice-."

Harry finished Draco's sentence as he had a feeling, he knew what Draco was going to say, "-That your eyes are the prettiest emerald green I've ever seen in the world? Yeah, I've noticed." He smiled and caressed Draco's cheeks with his fingers. "A certain and handsome blonde hair and silver-eyed wizard told me that."

Draco leaned in closer to Harry, stealing a kiss from his boyfriend and tilted his head to the side to make Harry believe he was going to deepen the kiss. He didn't. He quickly pulled out of the kiss just for fun, but he didn't want to.

Harry rolled his eyes and rolled over on the bed to face one of the gigantic arched windows. "Tease," he muttered and heard Draco chuckle behind him.

Draco reached over and ran his fingers through Harry's raven hair, trailing them down his neck, and then further down to his back. He slithered his hand over Harry's waist and held him close, his body pressed up against his boyfriend and he was smelling the pine in his boyfriend's hair.

Harry melted into the gesture, letting Draco hold him. He held onto Draco's hand that lay by his waist, loving every minute he spent with the blonde wizard. Although, he did want a nice refreshing shower, even if he didn't want to leave this embrace. "I'm going to take a shower," he then said in a low voice and turned over. "I want to be in something comfy while I sleep."

"Do you have to?" Draco mumbled to his boyfriend, stuffing his nose in the crook of Harry's neck. He actually wanted a shower too just to feel refreshed otherwise he just can't sleep at all. "Fine, and I'll have my shower after you."

Harry got up off the bed, leaving a frowning Draco behind. He cupped the Slytherin's cheeks, gave Draco a kiss and walked over to the wardrobe. He grabbed the checkered red pajamas and looked for the green checkered pajamas Draco wore the last time they were here. When he found them, he chucked Draco a pair of green pajamas and entered the bathroom.

Draco watched as Harry entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him, he felt the sense of Deja Vu come to him as he heard the shower running. He sighed happily, got up and walked over to the bookshelves filled with books. He noticed they were all mainly about constellations, animals and plants and their science. Just the normal books with lots of information that Ravenclaw's would like to read.

He walked over to the enchanted window, peeking outside at the mountains in the distance with the rain pouring down. He closed his eyes and imagined he was outside in the rain, feeling the raindrops fall on him and run down his skin. Before he even knew it, arms had wrapped around him. He turned around and met with those beautiful emerald green eyes of Harry Potter. "Hey."

Harry smiled at his Slytherin boyfriend and gave his nose a little kiss. "Hey yourself." Draco returned the smile and he walked over to the bed, grabbed the green pajamas, and headed into the bathroom.

Harry watched Draco go into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He smiled and hopped into bed and under the covers. He pulled the blankets up to his waist and laid down, staring at the canopy's ceiling. He heard the shower running and closed his eyes, drifting into a silent and peaceful sleep. But that sleep wasn't for long as he woke up as soon as he heard the bathroom door opening.

He rubbed at his eyes from under his glasses and watched as the blonde Slytherin with his shirt off crept over to the bed. He wolf-whistled at the Slytherin and the sight he was seeing. Draco's flat stomach was gorgeous with the right number of muscles in the right places and he had these perfect pink nipples that he couldn't wait to touch and feel them whenever he could. "Did it just get a whole lot hotter in here or is it just me?"

Draco stopped as he was in the center of the room after Harry had whistled at him, and he looked over at his boyfriend who was staring hungrily at him. The whole stare went right to his groin and he felt himself harden a little. He smirked as he put the pajama top on but didn't do up the buttons and was glad that he was a sight for his boyfriend to stare at. "I think it's just you, Harry. You are a very gorgeous sight to look at."

Harry blushed a little and smiled at him sweetly. He moved over to the right side of the bed so there was enough room for Draco. The Slytherin got the message and when he had gotten himself in bed, Harry grabbed both sides of Draco's pajama shirt and pulled him in close, giving him a slow but loving kiss. He moved his hands up to Draco's neck and ran them down the Slytherin's toned arms, feeling every little bump and lump of muscle there was until he got to his elbows.

Draco tilts his head to the side, deepening the kiss and Harry just moves his hands to Draco's chest, feeling the warmth and skin of his boyfriend under his palms and fingertips. His hands moved further down, now moving down to the Slytherin's stomach and abdomen where his fingertips tickled the skin there and made Draco groan in the kiss. Harry let out a smile in his kiss as he knew he could make Draco feel certain pleasures and he moved his hands to the side and ran them up and down Draco's waist. When they were out of breath, Draco slowly pulled away.

Draco smiled and cast a quick "Tempus" from his wand which he reached from in his pajama bottoms, telling him it's around 7:40 pm. It's nearly his bedtime. He likes early sleeps, so he gets more rest during the night.

Harry watched as the golden numbers emerged and told the time. He sighed and laid his head down on the dark blue pillows. "I'm guessing you don't want to stay up until midnight so we can celebrate the New Year's together?"

Draco shook his head and lay down beside Harry, tucking himself under the bedsheets and Duna. He leaned over and gave Harry a quick kiss on the lips. "I can try but I don't think I'll be able to stay up that long, Harry. The most I've stayed up is until ten o'clock. I would end up falling asleep by your side once my head hits the pillow." He then laid back down and felt arms wrap around his stomach. He chuckled softly and whispered, "Go to sleep my Gryffindor prince." 

Harry shook his head and planted a kiss to the side of Draco's neck. "You go to bed my Slytherin Prince," he whispered into the blonde Slytherin's ear and moved his hands around the bedsheets to find Draco's hands. When he felt them, he intertwined their hands together and nudged his knee in between Draco's legs.

Draco sighed happily and rolled over, placing his arms around Harry where he can and snaked their legs together. He gave Harry one last slow kiss goodnight before lowering and resting his head on the soft blue velvet pillow. He closed his eyes and fell asleep next to his boyfriend. Harry smiled lovingly at him, gave Draco a forehead kiss and fell into a deep sleep in Draco's arms.


	15. I love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's a little short and a little late. I've just been getting comments on how most of my chapters are too long (But that doesn't stop me C:< ). I also haven't been doing really good lately with my mental health and that has affected me and my writing times. Hope y'all understand. :)

Draco woke up to the sound of soft snoring beside him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a handsome guy lying next to him. He laughed quietly and just lay there, waiting until his boyfriend woke up. He didn't care what the time was, all he wanted to do was spend the entire day if possible, with this bloke sleeping in bed with him.

He ran his hand gently over Harry's raven hair but pulled his hand back right after Harry's nose twitched. He watched as the sleeping boy sneezed in his sleep. He smiled at the adorable little sneeze and pulled the blanket up over his boyfriend's shoulders. He watched as those beautiful Emerald green eyes fluttered open and he reached an arm over Harry's head, grabbing Harry's glasses from the bedside table and placed them on Harry's nose. He kissed Harry on the forehead. "Good morning." That was his first good morning forehead kiss to Harry.

Harry yawned, rubbed his eyes from sleep and looked up at the angel that lay next to him. "Morning," he said tiredly and could not believe he never had a nightmare during his slumber. Perhaps, it was because of having Draco near him. Yeah, that must be it.

Draco smiled and leaned down for a real morning kiss, which he never thought he'd ever get back. Harry slowly smiled into the kiss and leisurely wrapped his hands around Draco's neck to pull him closer. Both boys' eyes fluttered open at the same time as they leaned away from the morning kiss and they stared into the other's eyes.

Draco ran his hand through Harry's hair again and leaned down for another quick kiss. Harry leaned back onto the pillow and kissed him back slowly as he was still tired. But Draco's kisses were like electricity to him and giving him the energy to keep kissing his boyfriend no matter how tired he was. Draco nibbled at Harry's bottom lip and they both slowly broke away out of the kiss. "I think we'd better get ready for the day; don't you think?"

Harry sighed slowly, not wanting to do anything except being with this guy the entire day. He just wanted to sleep and lay with his boyfriend until the very next day. No, not until a week later he wanted to wake up and head to classes.

Draco leaned up away from Harry and pinched his nose when he got a whiff of Harry's breath. "Augh!" he said and wrinkled his nose. He was only being a git of a boyfriend by saying that his boyfriend's breath stinks. "You have morning breath."

"Well, your breath doesn't smell like bunnies or chocolate either," Harry mumbled sleepily and rubbed his hands over his face to get rid of the sleepiness. He looked up at his boyfriend who was sitting on his waist with a look of confusion over his face.

Draco raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering if bunny rabbits do have a smell. He's never touched or been near one so he wouldn't know. Is it the fur that smells or the body? "Bunnies have a smell?"

Harry smiled at the question and yawned. He yet again slept like a baby last night. "It's just a figure of speech, Draco," he said as he reached up and rubbed Draco's chest. When doing so he felt something a little hard on his lower stomach. "But I am pretty sure they do have a smell but only to predators."

Draco smirked and completely ignored the whole sentence except for two words Harry said. "I agree with you that you are very pretty, Harry."

Harry felt his cheeks warm up from the compliment and he sat up, resting his forehead against Draco's with his eyes closed. "That's not what I was saying but sure, you also are very pretty too," he said and opened his eyes. He was surprised by the meeting of soft lips on his own and so he tilted his head to the side and kissed Draco back slowly. But then he pulled away to say, "I'm never going to be able to get out of bed if you keep snogging me."

"That's good then," Draco whispered and leaned forward and down over Harry. He inclined his chin until his lip grazed Harry's upper ear. "It means we can spend the day with each other. Alone. In this very bedroom."

Harry moved his legs an inch towards him and felt a part of Draco on his prick. He could feel himself harden a little as he knows Draco's cock is touching his own but under his pyjama bottoms. "B-but, didn't you say we should get ready for the day? And won't people notice that two students from opposite houses are absent from breakfast?"

Draco leaned back up and lazily shrugged his left shoulder. He didn't care at the moment. "Let them come up with rumours about us," he said and ran his hands up and down Harry's waist. "They will be true anyway when we come out to everyone."

Harry raised an eyebrow and thought about students thinking that he and Draco are shagging. The thought about doing that with Draco filled him with warmth and lust but pushed the lust feeling away.

Draco seemed to know what Harry was thinking and chuckled, "Who cares if they think that, that rumour will probably come true in the future." He winked at Harry, grabbed his boyfriend's hand, and started kissing it. "We have sucked each other off once. I'll be glad to do it again whenever you want."

Harry blushed at that thought and remembered how incredible he felt as it was all because of Draco. His boyfriend had given him an incredible feeling of pleasure a few weeks ago. He relaxed on the bed, closed his eyes, and felt Draco's breath ghost on his lips. Draco felt something under him and realized what it was that he was sitting on. He moved off Harry with a smirk and laid back on the bed. Harry opened his eyes as soon as he felt Draco get off him and something inside him wanted Draco to stay where he was.

Draco could see the familiar emotion in Harry's eyes, and he smirked as he leaned down to Harry's crotch. He pressed a kiss to the bulge in Harry's pants and looked up at him with his silver eyes. Harry swallowed a little at what Draco's doing and he ran his hands through Draco's hair, knowing he wants it, and he wants the same. Though he rather wouldn't be late to breakfast, he's been craving Draco's mouth and tongue on a part of him for a long while.

Draco ran his tongue along the material bulge in Harry's pants, suddenly hungry for Harry instead of actual food. Hearing the sighs from Harry above him, he reached down and began stroking the cottony bulge in Harry's pants. The warm sensation in his pants was only becoming warmer as he smelt Harry's musky smell and it told him what he wanted. And Merlin, he wanted it.

Without even warning Harry, he pulled the Gryffindor's pyjama bottoms down and licked his lips at the black boxers his nose was only inches from. The musky smell was only stronger, and he leaned down and kissed his way to the head. Harry was threading his fingers through Draco's hair, already feeling himself harden from the touches and the kisses Draco's giving his prick, and he just wanted that mouth swallowing him whole already.

Like Draco could read what was on his mind, he pulled Harry's black boxers down until his boyfriend's cock bounced out of the boxers and laid flat against Harry's stomach. He hasn't seen Harry's cock in weeks, and he smiled at it and looked up at Harry. He leaned forward, tilting his head to the side and gave Harry a kiss on his top lip, distracting the Gryffindor so his hand could start slowly rubbing it gently. Harry's gasp nearly vibrated through his mouth and that's when Draco leaned away and attached his lips to Harry's neck, still rubbing the cock underneath him, and placing kisses to the Gryffindor's neck which made him sigh a little heavily now.

Harry spread his legs further apart so his Slytherin boyfriend had enough room for what he would be doing soon, and he leaned his head to the side to give Draco more room to kiss his neck. The Slytherin's hand moved further up Harry's dick, and his thumb rubbed over the head which leaked precome from the tip. Draco let out a groan, wanting to taste the liquids but instead began kissing down Harry's neck to the material of the top covering Harry's torso.

Draco released Harry's cock from his hand and immediately reached up to unbutton Harry's shirt, but he was stopped by Harry slapping his hands out the way and shaking his head. He frowned a little as he wanted to feel and kiss skin but didn't and stopped himself by moving back a little and lowering his head down to the cock that was flat against Harry's stomach. He licked from the base of the Gryffindor's cock and up to the head where he licked over the tip and tasted the salty-sweet precome.

He opened his mouth wide and accepted the first four inches before closing his mouth over Harry's length. Hearing a moan from above went straight to his groin, and his eyes were glued on Harry's groin in front of him. He groaned when Harry's fingers pulled at his hair, and his groan vibrated through Harry, making the Gryffindor shiver and say a word which Draco's never heard before. "Fucken hell, Draco-"

Draco descended up Harry's shaft and his cheeks pleated in as he sucked the head of Harry's cock, tasting that delicious dripping liquid he's been craving for weeks. He gripped Harry's length and gave it a few pumps, watching Harry become vulnerable and powerless under his ministrations. It was beautiful. Harry was beautiful.

He gave the head a nice kiss while looking up at Harry with his eyes, loving the way Harry's mouth parts from the pleasure and ecstasy he must be feeling and Merlin, he wants to feel what Harry's feeling. His cock is already throbbing from wanting the pleasured attention of Harry's hand, mouth, and tongue. Just the thought could make him come already.

Harry shuddered as he felt Draco's perfect mouth skim down his cock once again, and that hand that had been pumping him had moved down to the base of his dick where it only gave him these little pumps which still sent shivers of ecstasy down his spine. Draco then began twirling his tongue around Harry's length that is inside his mouth, and he nearly choked when the head hit the back of his throat.

Draco really wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Hogwarts could hear every sound Harry was making, but he could care less. His mind was focused solely on driving Harry to the best and second orgasm of his life. He had been worshipping the bloke's cock for what seemed like hours and had lost track of how long he had been nestled between the Gryffindor's thighs. But he wasn't really in the position to look at the time as of right now.

His lips were wrapped around Harry's cock firmly, bobbing his head up and down, his teary eyes locking with the bloke's flushed expression. Harry's back was pushed against the headboard, his legs spread just enough so Draco could lay between them and worship his cock. His hand was tangled in Draco's hair, the other gripping the bedsheets tightly, his knuckles going pale.

"Oh my god Draco, keep going," Harry panted, running his fingers through the Slytherin's blonde hair. His whole body was hot, small beads of sweat running down the sides his face, his face was scrunched up in obvious pleasure, his grip on the sheets tightening.

Draco hummed against the Gryffindor's gorgeous cock in satisfaction at his lover's evident pleasure sped up his pace. His throat felt sore from the number of times he had deepthroated the Gryffindor. His own erection getting uncomfortable in the green pyjama bottoms, but he didn't mind, knowing that Harry would return the favour hopefully this evening as once he's finished there won't be much time left of breakfast.

Without warning, Harry bucked his hips up to the Slytherin's face, shoving his entire cock down the boy's throat. Draco gripped his boyfriend's thighs as he tried to preserve his pace and work the Gryffindor through his orgasm.

"Yes, Draco!" Harry's back arched a little off the headboard, his grip on Draco's hair tightening as his intense orgasm washed over his body, his hot load spurting into the blonde Slytherin's mouth. The cries of ecstasy leaving his lips, filling the room. It took a while until his breathing had calmed down, and while he was doing so, Draco was swallowing every drop of his boyfriend's cum and pulled his mouth off Harry's cock with a little 'pop'.

Draco is loving the sight in front of him. Harry's chest was heaving up and down, his cheeks flushed, sweat running down the sides of his face, his pupils dilated, his plump cherry red lips parted. "I want to say you taste incredible, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's too late now," Harry mutters while he pulls his boxers and pyjama bottoms back up his waist, not knowing Draco frown at the sight he had put away. "And it wouldn't have made me uncomfortable, Draco. You made me feel incredible."

Draco smiled a little and a flush spread across his face. "Get dressed, Harry," he tells him strictly as he wipes his tongue across his top lip, gathering any hints of Harry's bodily fluids and sucks it off in his mouth. He does the same with his bottom lip too. "I want you to have a filling breakfast today. Same with lunch and dinner."

Harry sighs as he can see the pure lust in his boyfriend's eyes. "You know what? Sod breakfast. That can wait and we can just head off to the kitchens for breakfast if we're too late. Lie down because it's my turn to give you heaven." And that's when Draco smirks, his eyes definitely flaring with lust and he swaps places with Harry.

*****

Harry rolled over to face Draco with a smile. He could still taste the remains of Draco's semen explosion in his mouth and he wanted to keep it that way no matter how disgusting that sounded. "We really should get down to the Great Hall," he then says as he unbuttons his pyjama top but doesn't take it off. "I don't want Hermione to worry about me." He got up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "She knows I haven't slept in my own bed for a day; she'd be wondering where I was."

"I know," Draco said and got up from his side of the bed, walking to the end of the bed where their school uniform was. He grabbed his school uniform from on the bed and took off his shirt. He noticed Harry was staring and winked at him. He could still feel Harry's wet saliva on his cock and that gorgeous tongue of Harry's rolling over his length. It'll probably stay that way the entire day.

Harry felt his cheeks warm up and he looked away, biting his lip as the Slytherin looked so bloody fit. The damn Quidditch practise from last year. "Should we sit together at breakfast or would it be too risky?"

Draco smiled and walked backwards to the bathroom, and as he did that, he said, "We can sit together since Crabbe and Goyle will be too busy pigging out at the Slytherins table to notice. And Nott won't care, all he would be doing is talking with Pansy. He's got a thing for her; kind of annoying even Pansy thinks so."

Harry nodded and Draco walked to the bathroom door, entered, and shut the door behind him. Harry got up from the bed, spelled his teeth clean and made sure he was quick when getting dressed so Draco couldn't see his cuts. But it was too late. As Draco came out of the bathroom, he saw Harry facing the bed, shirt off with cuts up one of his arms. He frowned; he was right that Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived and his boyfriend was suffering. 

He sees not only cuts but bruises and discolouration on Harry's back. Merlin... This is definitely a sign of abuse. He didn't want to believe that Harry gets abused. It brought tears to his eyes at the thought of his boyfriend being abused by those relatives of Harry's. He casts a silent healing spell and aims his want at his lovers back, watching as the bruises and discolourations slowly faded away and left just skin that Draco wants to touch and kiss. 

He pretended he just came out of the bathroom and shut the door, giving Harry enough time to put on a shirt and hoped that Harry would come out to him soon about his depression and what actually caused it. At least he knew what was going on with his boyfriend. Depression. He hoped so much that Harry hadn't been feeling suicidal apart from the cutting. He so hoped he was right. How could someone so adorable, kind, and lovely be so depressed?

Harry quickly put on his shirt and dress robe and he turned around to face his boyfriend. Phew! he thought as he saw Draco just close the door behind him. He walked up to Draco and wrapped his arms around him, feeling Draco tense up. "Thank you for um... earlier." His voice then quieted down as if he is embarrassed. "It kind of... helps me."

Draco smiled from the hug and leaned in, ending the space between him and Harry and giving him a long lingering lovable kiss and didn't care if he could taste himself from Harry's mouth. He wanted to give Harry as much love as he could. He wanted Harry to feel loved, to know what love really feels like because he deserves it from what Harry is suffering from. Everyone deserves to feel loved, he hoped so much that Harry did not doubt that. He leaned back an inch out of the kiss, pressed their foreheads together and held Harry's hand. "Let's head down for breakfast, I'm guessing it's nearly halfway through."

They then headed out of the bedroom, out of the Transfiguration Courtyard and down to the Great Hall together. As soon as they got close enough to the Great Hall, they dropped their hands from each other's grasp and walked over to their required tables with a sigh. They both didn't want to but knew they should spend a little bit of time apart, just so people won't suspect anything, but they didn't care if word got out.

Harry sat next to Hermione who was watching him enter with a curious look in her eyes. "Harry?" she asked, and Dean and Seamus suddenly joined her also. She smiled at them and looked back to her best friend who she knows didn't go to bed in the Gryffindor 4th year boy's dormitory last night. "I find it kind of strange seeing you and Malfoy walk into the Grant Hall together when I never actually saw you come up to the common room last night."

Harry flushed as he grabbed himself a piece of toast and buttered it. "So, what do you think happened?" He took a bite out of his toast, forgetting to layer some jam on it. He winced at the lame taste.

"That you two were snogging somewhere," Hermione said and saw Harry nearly spit out his toast. She smiled at him and wondering if that was true. "Well, of course, that's what people are thinking."

"Are people really thinking that?" Harry asked her and didn't seem to mind it if people were thinking that he and Draco have been snogging somewhere. He didn't mind at all, and the students were right. He and Draco were somewhere and kissed a few times. "Actually, don't answer that. It's true anyways. He and I were... in the Slytherin dorms. I slept in his bed."

Seamus snorted at his dormmate. Not because of the intriguing question he wants to ask Harry, which is what the Slytherin common room looks like, but the clear residue he can clearly see on Harry's mouth. He isn't dumb. He knows what semen looks like. "Well, I'm sure ye and Draco have been doing much more than snogging on his bed, Harry. Remember to clean yer mouth the next time ye... suck him off."

And then Dean broke down into a fit of laughter and saw what his boyfriend meant. "Oh Harry," he cooed with a smirk. "You naughty, naughty little boy. And yes, remember to clean your face after doing that particular event with the Slytherin."

Harry felt his face burning with a dark blush, so he dropped his toast on his plate an covered his face with his hands. This is not how he wanted to come out to them about his sexual activities with Draco. He would have rather waited a few months. "Not so loud please, guys," he said quietly and dropped his hands from his face. "And you two and I are going to have a little chat later on. I think I need it."

Hermione was adding strawberries to her porridge, a little confused at what the boys were talking about. She was confused at herself as she knows she hardly gets confused unless she's missing something important.

Dean just smiled at him. "A chat with us is what you'll get, Harry," he said with a simple nod and wonders what exactly Harry wants to ask him and Seamus. He knows it must have something to do with shagging. He just doesn't want Harry to go into detail about Harry's experiences with Draco.

Harry's blush seems to darken, and he licks around his lips to get the rest of Draco's bodily fluids into his mouth and not on show. He also used the back of his hand in case his tongue wasn't wet enough to lap up the rest.

Just like every morning, the owls swooped into the Great Hall. Hedwig flew down with a reply from Sirius and landed on the table next to Harry. Harry smiled at his bird pal and retrieved the letter from her beak, "Thanks, Hedwig." He gave Hedwig a bit of toast and stuffed his envelope in his robe pocket.

Hermione saw her friend stuffing the familiar letter in his pocket. She had a feeling it's either from Sirius or Draco, but she didn't question him about it as they had Dean and Seamus' company. They didn't know that Harry was receiving letters from Sirius and she knew to leave it that way.

Harry looked over at Draco. Draco's eagle owl swooped down and landed on his shoulder with two familiar letters in its mouth. Harry noticed Draco stuffing his own envelope into his robe pocket and furrowed his eyebrows curiously. Who were those letters from?

"So, Harry," Hermione then said and blew on the spoon with porridge and a singular strawberry on it. She still wanted to know what happened and how Malfoy turned back into his human form and not some ferret. "What happened after I left to go talk to Pansy? I won't judge remember. I'm not exactly straight either."

Harry looked over at Draco who was talking to Pansy and Ivy. He noticed Ivy waving at him and whispering something in Draco's ear, Draco immediately looked up, wriggled his fingers at him with a charming smile and blew a kiss to him. Harry blushed even redder and looked up at Hermione. "Fine, but what happened between you and Pansy?" He was curious about what had happened between the two.

Hermione giggled at her blushing friend and shook her head. She asked first so she'll get the answers she wants first. "Nope, I want to hear this first. There is no talking yourself out of it, Harry. You know the rules."

Harry smiled at the plate of bacon next to Seamus. "So... Um... It started after Draco got turned into a ferret. When Moody made all the students leave, Ivy asked me to come over to her. Moody was escaping Professor McGonagall, so he didn't get told off for turning Draco into a ferret, and so Draco never turned back into himself. Then Ivy dared me to kiss Draco and she still didn't know of the relationship I have with Draco then."

Hermione looked up at Harry in shock but also with the slightest smile. Harry could tell she was internally squealing like a fangirl. "So... yeah, I kissed the ferret and he turned back into himself." He was remembering the kiss clearly as he smiled dreamily down into a goblet of pumpkin juice. Now he was thirsty.

Hermione took all the information in, then her eyes suddenly widened. "So, is it's true then? The whole fairytale?" She was looking through her book bag for a certain book. She didn't have it with her though. "I can't believe it! The true loves kiss, Harry! It breaks every curse and charm."

"Yes, the true loves kiss," Harry said a little dreamily and thought about if it's actually real unless the curse had a time limit on it. The first thought differed to him, but he believed it. A true loves kiss is just a fairy tale isn't it? Although there is a 'Draught of the Living Death' which must be cured with a kiss by the victims one true love and they must have the cure on their lips.

"Now, back to the topic of where you have been all night," Hermione said as it seemed her friend wasn't into the talk about true love kisses. But he should be. He had stopped a hex from staying permanent with a kiss. That must mean something right?

"What do you want to know?" Harry asked her and downed the rest of his pumpkin juice. He felt good that he could at least eat something without vomiting it up. Thank you, Draco. The Slytherin has truly helped him.

Hermione poked her lovestruck friend with a finger and she grinned at him. "You're in love, Harry James Potter. I want to know where you were last night. You had me worried when I asked to see you this morning and you weren't there. Even Ron was a bit curious."

Harry's smile turned into a small frown at the thought of losing Ron to his damn sexuality. Now he didn't want to tell her. It wasn't her fault, it was Ron's. Hermione saw the familiar frown on her friend's face and frowned herself. How could her own best friend feel that sad about what the other friend had said? She placed a reassuring hand on Harry's arm, he didn't even flinch, look up at her or even move a muscle. Harry sat there like he was dead to the world like he really was dead, but he wasn't. "Harry?"

Harry finally looked up at Hermione, still feeling the overwhelming depression drown him to the depths of his emotions. What he needed was an escape. "Sorry, I need to go," he mumbled and then got up and left the Great Hall, not caring where he went. He just wanted to be alone. He wouldn't go to any of the secret places Draco had shown him, no. He decided to head to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as it is the only place that he feels safe with his sharp friend which he really needed right now.

But of course, as he entered the bathroom he couldn't cut. He just wouldn't. He wanted to, he had the urge to, but he couldn't. Not when Draco thinks he is safe in the common room or somewhere. He just didn't want to worry Draco. That urge was now twisting in his gut. He paced back and forth trying to think it away, he tried to rid it out of his mind as he splashed his face with water, but it didn't work. So, he just scratched hard at his wrist.

Feeling the scabs come off under his fingernails, he scratched harder and noticed blood coming out of the cuts. He sighed miserably, feeling that small amount of pain numbs him. It wasn't enough to fulfil him completely, but it was something and that was what mattered. He then decided to head to the common room to read the rest of 'The Hunger Games'. He's nearly finished it anyway.

*****

Draco watched as Harry left the Great Hall. He didn't know what happened but something in his gut told him to go after his boyfriend. "I'm going after Harry," he whispered to both Ivy and Pansy. "Remember how I told both of you earlier throughout breakfast that I found he has..."

Ivy nodded. She knew of it too, but Pansy didn't. "He has cuts, scars, memories," she said, frowning just slightly. "He kind of is just like me."

Pansy was wondering why the Wizarding Worlds 'Golden Boy' suffers so much. What could be so bad in Harry Potter's life that he would harm himself because of it? Apparently, the rumours about him are fake. He doesn't live like royalty.

"I've asked if he's okay and he keeps lying and says he's fine," Draco tells them sadly, his shoulders slumping. But he knows Harry is trying to speak to him about everything. He already knows Harry gets treated like a house-elf back at his home. So, what else hasn't Harry mentioned?

Ivy gave a sad nod, knowing exactly what it is like. "Yeah, he'll keep saying that but spend more time with him and gain more of his mental trust," she told him, her voice seemed to get gentler. "Trust for me is like walking up the stairs, the first step you took when finding out about my... you know? I didn't trust you enough. The second step I slowly told you a few things, the third step I told you more and so on. It'll be the same with Harry."

Pansy sighed at her best friend. She didn't know much about Harry, but she knows the Gryffindor shouldn't be alone right now. "Go find him, Draco," she said in a soft voice and threw a raspberry at his tie. "Maybe if you do find him, you'll see him in the state he's in and he will come out to you."

"Trust me, even when I want to be alone, deep down, I just need attention," Ivy said and loaded her porridge up with fruits and nuts. She agreed with Pansy that Harry needs to be found. "It's normal. People think it's called 'attention seeking' but really, it's not. He would want you to be there with him, so please go and find him."

Draco got up and left the Slytherin table with his head held high, billowing robes behind him and went to find Harry. He had a feeling Harry wouldn't be in either the yellow or blue bedroom nor the library's secret room. He knew there wouldn't be a possibility of finding Harry at the Willow tree so he went to the only person he knew where Harry could be, Hermione Granger.

Draco made his way back to the great Hall but didn't see the girl. He sighed as he knew the know-it-all goes to the library a lot and that was thanks to Harry telling him how nerdy she is. He searched and searched, hoping to find the know-it-all. Still nothing. So, he went straight towards the Gryffindor Tower. He finally caught up to her as she was about to enter the portrait and yelled, "Granger!"

Hermione turned around to face Harry's boyfriend. "Hello, Draco," she said and gave him a smile. She knew why he was here. He wanted to see Harry as anybody close to Harry would like to know where Harry went. "Please, call me Hermione. And just to let you know, the only placed I know Harry would be is in the Library or the common room."

Draco sighed and looked to the portrait of a large woman who was smiling down at him. "Can I come in then?" he asked her, and then looked back at the Gryffindor girl. "I want to know if he's there. If he's okay... please."

Hermione gave Draco a quizzical look. Was she allowed to let him into the common room? Well, Harry did say that he stayed with Draco in the Slytherin dorms last night. "I don't know if I'm allowed to let people from other houses into our common room. But, oh well." She shrugged. "We always break the rules somehow." She leaned closer to the portrait and whispered the password. The portrait then opened up.

Draco rushed into the Gryffindor common room and took in what he saw. This looked nothing like the Slytherin common room. The common room wasn't long, low roofed, green and silver. Instead, it was small, tall, red, and gold and looked like a tower. He ignored the stares from the other Gryffindors and turned back to Hermione. "Where are the dorms?"

Hermione pointed to the stairs to the left of the common room, "Up there to your left. Good luck."

Draco nodded his thanks and jogged up the stairs. He took a left and entered the 4th year's boy's dormitory. When he entered, he was threatened with wands at his throat by Neville, Dean and Seamus. He breathed heavily, and looked around the room, not finding Harry anywhere. "Sorry, I came to find Harry." Neville, Dean and Seamus lowered their wands from his throat.

"Why do you want to know where he is?" Dean asked curiously but kept a firm hold on his wand. He doesn't exactly trust the Slytherin even if Harry is dating him. "What's your purpose to know where he is?"

Draco sighed impatiently and ran a hand through his hair. He was a little annoyed that he wasn't getting the information he wanted from Harry's dormmates. "He's my friend," he then said but the three Gryffindor's look like they didn't believe him. "Please. I want to know where he is."

Seamus chuckled at the Slytherin and knew there was something more to that. After all, he now knew Harry and Malfoy have been getting a little heated in bed. It seems like there are only blowjobs involved with Harry and Draco. "Ye mean yer boyfriend?"

Draco looked at him in disbelief. How did they know? Unless Harry told them, but he wouldn't actually mind as long as these three keep it a secret until he and Harry want to come out to the world. "How did you-."

"Please..." Dean said and intertwined Seamus' hand with his. "We all pretty much know about you two and when we saw you enter the Great Hall together it was kind of obvious when we never saw Harry enter the dormitory last night."

Draco felt his cheeks warm up a little. He hoped the fireplace made it seem like it was at fault for his blushing cheeks. "Right, obvious."

Dean whipped his wand back up to Draco's throat and gave him a stern look. "And if you ever hurt Harry, know that we will all come for you!" he told him firmly. "You got that Malfoy?! And we will come find you if you ever hurt Harry. Gryffindor's stick together and that's exactly what we'll do."

Draco nodded and smirked, finding it funny how brave Gryffindors can be. It was like watching first years stand up for each other in front of older students who were being mean. It's what he used to do before he became Harry's friend, and he is glad he stopped the first-year tormenting's.

Seamus and Neville also placed their wands up at Draco's throat. "We mean it, Draco," Neville finally spoke instead of having Dean and Seamus say anything for him.

Draco took a step backwards, feeling a little anxious about these three Gryffindors. "Of course, I would never hurt Harry!" he said in a near snappish tone. All he wants to do is find Harry and make sure he's okay. "You all should know that."

"We don't know where Harry is and we appreciate if you tell us before bursting into our dormitory like that," Dean said and crossed his arms over his chest. Then he smirked as he remembered the liquid he and Seamus spotted on Harry's mouth. Their dormmate must have been hungry and wanted breakfast earlier. "Or if you and Harry want the room to yourself."

Draco glared at the Gryffindor, feeling a blush form on his cheeks when realizing what Dean Thomas meant. "Alright," he said and took a few more steps back towards the exit. "I'm going to go now... and find him." He rushed out the dormitory and made his way down the steps but stopped as he saw the boy's bathroom. He curiously followed his gut inside the bathroom but didn't see anybody there. He sighed and made his way back out towards the common room and that's when he saw... "Harry?!" He didn't see his boyfriend there before when he entered the common room minutes ago.

Harry looked up from the red and gold armchair he was seated on by the fireplace and smiled as he saw Draco walk up to him. He heard that Draco was here and for him. Draco was thankful he finally found Harry. His Harry. He knew it was bad to touch him on the wrists, but he made sure Harry didn't come from the bathroom after... He couldn't think that. He kneeled down and softly grabbed Harry's long sleeve covered arms, rubbed his thumbs along the material and looked him in the eyes. He didn't see any winces from pain or even in his eyes. He sighed in relief and kissed Harry's hands.

Harry smiled at his boyfriend's weird behaviour. He reached a hand up and stroked his soft blonde hair and leaned in for a slow kiss with his boyfriend. They both heard a few 'Awwe's' coming from somewhere in the common room but ignored them and continued kissing. Draco sat down on Harry's lap and slowly pushed his back into the armchair. As they broke away, they never lost eye contact and then realized they were being stared at. Slowly looking around, they see all the shocked and surprised looks on all the other Gryffindor's faces.

Harry didn't know what to say to all his fellow Gryffindors. So, he just said, "Hi!" It's all he really could say right now.

Draco chuckled at his boyfriend and stared him right in those green eyes which he became so lost in. His eyes are such mazes to him. Was that all he could say? "Hi?" he said, a little amused and confused at the same time. "Is that all you can say to them? Hi...?"

Hermione watched in amusement at her best friend and Malfoy finally snogging somewhere in a crowded area. She smiled to herself and was pleased to say her ship has successfully sailed, even if she had a few doubts about the relationship previously. She walked up to the two lovebirds and sat in an armchair across from them, "So... Since I know where you have been all night, what I want to know is what you've been doing. Want to explain or shall Draco?"

Harry turned to look at Hermione while Draco just stared at Harry like a lover. Harry didn't seem to mind the staring though. "I-, um-," he stuttered and looked back into Draco's silver eyes, hoping he'd come up with something other than 'snogging and sleeping together in a secret room for the night'.

Draco nodded at his boyfriend who couldn't seem to come up with a false explanation as to where they were. Already having a fake explanation, he looked at the Gryffindor girl. But did she actually know where he and Harry have been all night? Maybe Harry told her. "We were... Studying."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Studying?" she asked and questioned herself if they were telling the truth. They didn't even have any tests or examinations until their fifth year. "All night? We don't even have any-"

"More like studying each other's bodies," came a voice from somewhere in the common room, and a bunch of laughter broke free throughout the common room. Little did they know they were at least half right.

Harry and Draco's faces turned bright red at the anonymous comment. Hermione glared at the back of the common room, hoping to find where that voice came from. She looked back at the Gryffindor and Slytherin couple sadly, "I think it's best if you two go somewhere else. I don't want any other comments coming your way, especially if they're rude."

Draco hopped off Harry's lap, stood up and held out his hand for Harry. Harry smiled at his Slytherin prince, took his hand, and was helped off the armchair. Both boys walked hand in hand towards the common room's portrait and exited, not wanting rude comments thrown at their backs.

Harry squeezed Draco's hand and kissed him on the cheek when they were finally out of the common room and in the halls of the castle. He and Draco have finally come out to nearly all of Gryffindor and now the whole of Hogwarts will found out. "So, where shall we go before classes start?"

Draco shrugged, squeezed Harry's hand back and smiled at his adoring boyfriend. "I don't know," he said and thought about the places he and Harry can go to. The Willow tree, the bedrooms, and the Library's Secret Room. "We can go anywhere you'd like."

"I like the thought of just walking through Hogwarts hand in hand with you," Harry said and bumped shoulders with his Slytherin boyfriend. He was just having fun being with Draco and showing the castle that they're a thing now.

"I like that idea as well," Draco said and got Harry back with a bump to the shoulders and a charming smile which made Harry's heart flutter in his chest. He smiled at his Harry and placed an arm around him, keeping him close to both his body and heart.

They started walking along the corridors, not knowing where they were headed but they knew they were going up. "Good!" Harry kissed Draco on the cheek and started running off. Draco chuckled and ran after his boyfriend. They both ran down the corridors laughing and trying to outrun the other until Professor McGonagall stopped them.

"Boys!" The professor snapped and looked at the two boys sternly. "May I remind you that the corridors are not for running in."

"Sorry Professor," Harry and Draco both chorused, turned away from her and walked towards the Transfiguration Courtyard. There was a nice little patch of grass and a few trees where they were headed so they had a nice place to be together. They then started laughing as they were out of hearing range from her.

The professor sighed and shook her head at the two. They both reminded her of Lily and James, and Sirius and Remus back in the days. The two couples were always running about Hogwarts together, holding hands, and snogging in corridors where others could see them.

By the time, the two boys reached the Transfiguration Courtyard, they decided to sit under a large Oak tree. Draco slid his back down the trunk of the tree and crossed his legs over each other. Harry kneeled on top of Draco's upper legs. They both smiled at each other. Draco closed the distance between them, cupping Harry's face gently and Harry kissed back eagerly.

Draco pried Harry's lips apart gently with his own, experimentally sliding his tongue across Harry's bottom lip. The Slytherin slid his tongue past Harry's lips, caressing Harry's tongue with his own, that was all Harry could feel except Draco's soft warm hand on his cheeks and it was extraordinary. With one last swipe of Harry's lip, Draco pulled away, his face flushed, and he licked his lips, loving the taste of Harry Potter.

"I love you, Harry James Potter," Draco whispered and his breath ghosted against Harry's lips. He feels so relieved that he's told Harry he loves him. He's been wanting to say it for a long time. "So damn much. To the moon and back. You are my best friend, my human diary, and my other half. You mean the world to me and I love you."

"What did you say?" Harry asked in surprise at what he thought had come out of Draco's mouth and his mouth fell open a little. He hasn't had Draco tell him using the English Language that he loves him, only in France.

Draco smiled sweetly at him, knowing Harry's a little surprised with him. "To the moon an-"

Harry shook his head and cut him off, "No, before that." He wanted to hear Draco say those three words to him again. They were most important to him and meant the most.

"I love you, Harry Potter," Draco repeated softly and brought Harry's hand up to his mouth, placing kisses to the back of Harry's hand. He truly did mean it all. He's been wanting to say those three powerful words to Harry every day. "I mean it when I say I love you. I love you for who you are. Strong and brave and kind. When I walk into a room that you're in, my heart lifts. When I'm away, just thinking of you makes me smile. Being with you makes me the happiest I have ever been in my life. I love you."

Harry felt the familiar warmth spread across his body and up his neck to his face. With it came a dark red blush which appeared on his face. Nobody's ever told him they love him, not even Hermione and Ron. Well, he doesn't recall hearing his two best friends saying those three words to him. Even the sound of Draco's voice saying those words to him made his heart pound in his chest and a thousand butterflies flutter around inside his stomach. "Je t'aime, Draco Lucius Malfoy."

Draco leaned in for a short kiss with the biggest smile he has ever given anyone. After all this time, Harry knew he was saying 'I love you' to him. He leaned away from the kiss, pressing his lips together and he said, "You don't know how long I've waited to say that to you or even hear that from you, Harry."

"Likewise," Harry whispered with a smile. He stared into Draco's silvery eyes, noticing the beautiful long blonde eyelashes as well as how the sunlight slightly bounced off Draco's hair. "You're beautiful!"

"You're also very beautiful, Harry," Draco said and he leans forward to give Harry's nose a little kiss. It. He then remembered the letter from his parents he got by owl this morning and tried reaching into his pocket to grab it. He let Harry lay on his chest while he opened the envelope, grabbed it, and started reading it.

_Draco, __  
_ Be aware that I do not wish harm upon Harry Potter, or upon you and our family. But, if the Dark Lord does reincarnate somehow, we would have to stick to his side as us Malfoy's have done in the past. Malfoy's do get whatever they want, Draco. You do have Harry Potter as your friend now, don't you? I know nothing about your love to a certain Harry Potter, no I truly do not. I truly do love to hear from you, Draco. It shows that I know your happy at Hogwarts, even with this certain Potter boy. _  
_ Sincerely, _  
_ LM __

__Draco sighed in relief as he had received another good letter from his father. He still can't believe his own cold-hearted father could somehow come into terms and try to accept him as being gay. It was like walking into a different dimension where all of his father's friends wear pink and dress up as Princesses. He shook that funny thought aside and gave the letter to Harry. "Here's a letter from my father if you'd want to read it. It's quite positive, nothing bad-ish. I have the first letter for you to read in my dorm if you'd like."_ _

__Harry grabbed the letter from Draco and scanned over it. He looked up at Draco to see if this letter was a trick and Draco shook his head. "This is a letter from your father?" he asked in disbelief, wondering if Lucius Malfoy could ever write such a positive letter. It seems like the man could._ _

__Draco nodded. It was unbelievable even for him. "I have another one from my mother," he said and was going to get that letter out but had other ideas. "I'm sure you know that though since you were staring at me during breakfast."_ _

__Harry sighed as that was true and he admits it. He closed the gap between him and Draco again, kissing him slowly and lovingly. He really didn't know how to French kiss; he just would let Draco lead that kind of kiss. He knew by just feeling Draco French kiss him, he'd get experience to lead in a matter of time. They both pulled apart, eyes fluttering open and looking into the depths of each other's irises._ _

__Draco leaned forward and grabbed Harry's glasses with his teeth, taking them off and stared into the beautiful Emerald green irises without the lens of Harry's glasses bocking out the true beauty of those eyes. The true nature, forests, and greenery he can see in those eyes he loves._ _

__Harry smiled and tried to see Draco, but he just sees a beautiful blonde and pale blur. He wished he could see clearly without glasses, but he has his own deceased dad to thank for his terrible eyesight. He's gotten used to it over the years though. It's just another thing he must deal with every day._ _

__Draco slightly tilted his head to the side, watching as Harry's eyes kept blinking but didn't look around at anything besides himself. "You really can't see, can't you?" he asked his boyfriend and dropped Harry's glasses down onto the Gryffindor's lap. He picked the black-rimmed glasses up and placed them back on Harry's nose._ _

__Harry shook his head. "Unfortunately, no I'm permanently blind," he said and pressed a finger to the nose piece of his glasses, making sure they're on fully and not on loosely. "The only things I can see are blurs around me, including you."_ _

__Draco sighed and reached his hand up to caress Harry's warm and glowing cheeks with his fingers. "I believe there are potions where they can fix your eyesight, Harry. You just need to know where to look in the potions stores throughout Diagon Alley." He looked directly into Harry's green eyes, loving how they shine. "Besides, you look adorable with these round glasses on, even if they are out of style."_ _

__Harry chuckled at the compliment. "Thanks, Drake." Before he gave Draco the chance to answer back, he cleared his throat as he had a question, he dreaded to ask his boyfriend. He just had to know. "So, are you really going to go to Voldemort's side?"_ _

__Draco shook his head and felt a little sad that Harry would think he would side with such a monster. "Never ever will I leave your side in battle, Harry James Potter," he assured his boyfriend. He just didn't know why Harry would even think the Dark Lord could come back after being killed by Harry as a baby. "V... Voldemort does not know about love; he probably won't even care who you date. I believe he only wants you dead, he won't try to take you away from me or torture you in front of me because he has no love in his heart. He's a cold monstrous being from what I've heard about him from father and in stories."_ _

__Harry widened his eyes in surprise, nobody has ever told him about Voldemort like that and Draco didn't even stutter when saying his name. He smiled at knowing his man will always side with him and gave Draco a long kiss. He slowly moved Draco back up against the tree and kissed him hard, his hands sneaking their way around the Slytherin's neck and bringing their bodies closer together._ _

__Draco's arms snaked their way around Harry's waist, and he moved Harry slightly back and forth on his lap, making Harry rut against him. Harry knew he was sitting on something that was becoming hard and knew what it was but didn't care. As long as he had Draco and Draco had him, it was all that mattered the most. But he began to feel this warm pleasure building up in his gut the more he rutted against Draco even if he wasn't the one who started the rutting. He had to stop before the pleasure was too overwhelming to end. Eventually, they broke away, lips bright red and swollen as they stared into each other's eyes._ _

__Harry began to calm his beating heart from the kissing. Well, he tried to. "So, can I see your mother's letter please?" he asked him curiously, raising a single eyebrow. "I would like to know what it says. What she thinks of us and everything else."_ _

__Draco reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his mother's letter. He held it in front of both of them so they could read it together._ _

__Dear Draco,_ _

__I'm so pleased to hear you say that you are willing to talk about Harry all you want when you come back home. And oh, merciful Merlin! Yes! You finally have a boyfriend and it's Harry Potter! I am so proud and happy for you, my dragon. I'm so sorry that you couldn't come home for Christmas, I would have loved to spend it with you, Ivy and Harry if he was allowed._ _

__I have already Owled Severus and he's told me you're not allowed to come over until the holidays. I can assure you I'll never be the one to humiliate you, that of course, is your fathers doing. About Ivy, I'll see what I can do. I wish I knew what's been happening with her, she has been so down and depressed a lot. If we can't adopt her or take her under our care, perhaps Sirius can._ _

__I'm sure Sirius would love to take her in, especially since he's apparently her father. But if that's so then my dear cousin would have had to be in bed with Willow when he was seventeen. I know Sirius while drunk and he has never made such a mistake like that ever so are you positively sure Ivy is his daughter? Not to mention my cousin is gay so that's also something to think about._ _

__Lots of love,_ _

__Your mother, Narcissa Malfoy. :)_ _

__Harry smiled at the letter, but he was a little sad when realizing that Narcissa could be right about the fact that Ivy isn't Sirius' daughter. He decided to not mention that topic to Draco. "That was a very sweet letter," he said and pulled Draco's tie out of the jumper where it was neatly placed, and he curled his arm up it like a snake. "I'd love to meet your mother someday. She sounds lovely."_ _

__"Yeah," Draco said and smiled at the letter, then to Harry. He wouldn't have ever asked for a more amazing mother. "She really is. I'm so glad I have her as my mother. She would love to meet you as well since you're in my life romantically."_ _

__Harry grabbed the envelope from on the ground beside Draco and the first thing he saw was a photo which fell out of the envelope. He studied it and smiled, remembering that entire night. The lights were dim, he and Draco were slow dancing and staring into each other's eyes. It was a beautiful magical night. "Look at us, remember the night?" He handed Draco the photo._ _

__Draco looked at the wizard's photo of him and Harry dancing and smiled. It was so memorable and something he will never forget. Even the time in the dormitory with Harry in his bed feeling his first-ever orgasm. And the best part, Harry made him feel incredible with the sexual activity. "It was an amazing night."_ _

__"I'm apparently allowed to come to your house over the holidays," Harry then said and read that part in the letter again. It was true. He could go over to Draco's. "But are you sure it's safe? Is your house Death Eater free?"_ _

__Draco furrowed his eyebrows at his boyfriend. Why wouldn't his own house be safe? "Of course, my manor is safe, Harry. It's surrounded by protective wards and my mother would never allow death eaters in the same house with her son and any guests," he assured him gently and raised a hand to Harry's cheek, caressing it with his thumb._ _

__"Okay," Harry mumbled and looked back up into Draco's eyes. He trusted Draco of course. It's just Mr Malfoy he didn't trust. "How about Ivy? Is she going to live with you or with Sirius? I told Sirius about Ivy. I haven't read his letter yet, it's still in my pocket."_ _

__Draco stared blankly down at a single ladybug walking on the surface of a dandelion a few feet away from them. "Mother is still working on that," he said and slid his hand down to Harry's neck. "Ivy already has a bedroom in the manor so she can always stay over. It's just that Sirius and Willow are Ivy's rightful guardians, so my mother can't really adopt Ivy unless Sirius or Willow signs the adoption sheets." He looked down at Harry, "Why don't you read Sirius' letter now?"_ _

__Harry grabbed the envelope from his robe's pocket without hesitation and opened it up. He wanted to believe Sirius was Ivy's father, but he just couldn't. Yes, Ivy has Sirius' black and curly hair, but she doesn't have his eyes. Does Willow have blue eyes like Ivy? Ivy doesn't even look like Sirius though. He began reading the letter to distract himself._ _

__Harry,_ _

__I'm sorry to hear you and Draco never got to go to the dance together as a couple. Tell Fred to thank him for me, and on your behalf too. Speaking of Fred, how was he at dancing? I've heard he and George are excellent dancers._ _

__That's fantastic Harry! About you and Draco being a couple. I'm truly happy for you both. And he asked you out on Christmas day? How sweet. A first date as well? I would like to meet him sometime in person. I've already gotten a whole family album ready for photos._ _

__Harry, I did say you can talk to me about anything. You and Draco have officially given each other blowjobs? I have no idea what to say except congrats! You're a brave kid if you're sharing your private moments with me. Well, pup, I hope you and Draco had fun that night. That's all I'm going to say now as I don't know what else to say._ _

__Draco started laughing at what Sirius had said in the letter, and that Harry had practically told Sirius about their private moment on the night of the Yule Ball in the Slytherin boys dorm room in his bed. Harry had to shut him up with a hand over his mouth, and he continued reading the letter._ _

__So, apparently, I have a daughter? Quite shocking news. Merlin's Beard! I have a daughter and her name's Ivy. It's quite a good name, to be honest. I wish I could meet Ivy so I can know how she grew up. Apparently, she didn't grow up in a nice household. I'm really sorry to hear that. I've heard from Narcissa that she wants to adopt the girl? There's no need, I'd love to take her home when I can get back home that is._ _

__Sirius_ _

__Draco smiled and pressed his cheek to Harry's. He still couldn't get the thought of Harry telling Sirius about their sexual experience in bed. He didn't mind though. As long as Harry had someone to talk to about it. "Sirius really sounds amazing," he says in a whisper. "I wish I could have met him. And a photo album of us? Merlin..."_ _

__Harry placed his hands behind Draco's neck, moving a little closer to him. "Well, that's Sirius for you. My crazy godfather who wants to know about my love and sex life." That made Draco snort and pull Harry into a passionate kiss._ _

__Hermione and Pansy were just walking along the corridors until they saw two figures in the Transfiguration Courtyard. They gave each other knowing glances and crept up to take a closer look. As soon as they saw Harry and Draco, they both squealed and had to cover each other's mouth from sounding too loud. They watched as Harry and Draco kissed, the two girls giggled in delight and decided to leave them be._ _

__"Those two are so adorable together!" Pansy said with a big smile, and she couldn't be happier seeing her best friend happy with someone he loves. She loves her life which is full of happiness and friendship._ _

__Hermione giggled at her best friend making out with his boyfriend. It was so beautiful to see. "They really are quite a wonderful duo," she said and agreed with a nod. "Let's just go and leave them be." Pansy nodded and pulled Hermione towards the library even though they both knew classes were soon to start._ _

__"You know what I really want?" Harry asked quietly, nibbling on Draco's bottom lip. He looked up into silver eyes glittering from the suns rays and leaned away a little but pressed his forehead to Draco's._ _

__Draco smiled and rubbed his nose against Harry's cheek like a kitten would. "What do you want, my gorgeous Harry?" he asked his Gryffindor boyfriend softly and continued his nose rubbing. He loved showing his love for Harry in different and odd ways._ _

__"A dance," Harry said simply. What more could he want more in life than to dance with his boyfriend? It's all he wants right now. "Just you and I like at the Yule Ball, dancing to muggle songs together."_ _

__Draco pushed back one of Harry's locks of hair from his eyes, smiling as it bounced back into place. He did it again as it was very amusing to watch. "That honestly sounds amazing, Harry," he says and can picture it already happening. "But you do realize we still have classes to go to?"_ _

__Harry sighs and leans his head down on Draco's shoulder, not wanting to go anywhere. All he wants is to stay in the arms of his boyfriend. He didn't want to wait for the weekend to come. He wanted to make his own weekend. Then he remembered what class he had now and groaned. "I got Divination. What about you?"_ _

__"I have Transfigurations," said Draco and he gave Harry's upper arms a rub to tell him it's alright and that he will get through classes. "If Trelawny ever gives you any more Death Predictions just ignore them. I pretty much ignore everything she says unless it actually relates to what we have to learn." He then gave him a kiss on the cheek and asked, "So where are you going to find a music player for us?"_ _

__Harry smiled as he had a feeling that he knew exactly who would have one. Fred and George. Well, he hoped the twins had kept the music player from the Yule Ball. It had a lot of great songs on it that he would love to re-dance to with Draco. "Oh, I know where one would be. But I need to go. I have three flights of stairs to walk up."_ _

__"Okay then," Draco said and sighed a little. No Harry until later on in the day. Can he manage? He knows he will. "Ha-Ha! Transfigurations is only a hallway away and then I'm there. Have fun walking up three flights alone my gorgeous Gryffindor."_ _

__Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's mockery and got up off from on the Slytherin. He stood up and held out his hand for his boyfriend to grasp onto. Draco looked up at Harry, smiled, and grabbed his hand. Harry helped him up and swore. He had to get his bookbags. "I really need to go. My books."_ _

__"Oh, same," said Draco a little quickly and placed the notes from his mother and father in his pocket. "Wait!" He smiled and pulled Harry into a quick kiss which sounded like a "Mwah!" when his lips touched Harry's. The Gryffindor chuckled softly and pulled away, not letting go of their hands. "I love you, Harry. Now go." He dropped his hands out of Harry's grasp and took a step back. If he stayed close to Harry, he would have wanted to kiss him again. As much as he wants to, he doesn't want Harry becoming late._ _

__"I love you too, Draco," Harry says sweetly and decides to take this time to walk away. He had his books to collect unless he was lucky enough to have Hermione get them for him. That wasn't an option for him though. With a smile, he then rushes off to Gryffindor Tower to grab his things._ _


	16. Romance in Hogwarts

Harry woke with a groan and sluggishly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and wishing he had more sleep. He woke up three times last night all because of the same recurring nightmare and he couldn't fall back asleep for hours. It sucked so much because he wanted an actual good night sleep. The only decent amount of sleep he gets is with Draco and sleeping with him.

Hearing no noise but the snores of his dormmates, he decided to just lay in his bed with the blankets up to his chest to keep himself warm and toasty. Over time, he cast a few "Tempus" to check the time until he finally hears a movement in the room such as giggles, sheets moving, and mattresses dipping meaning that someone was sitting on someone else's mattress.

Harry pushes the side drape aside and climbs out of bed. His ears suddenly hear soft moaning, and he looks to the other side of the room at Seamus' bed. He raised an eyebrow and sees movement on his side of the room. He looks to his side and sees Neville just staring at Seamus' bed, his nose wrinkled a little.

Harry then sees a few pink, white, and red gifts on Dean's bed including a bunch of red and white roses wrapped in a pink ribbon. There is a cluster of roses on Seamus' bedside table and what looks like a bunch of chocolate boxes. Then it hits him. It's Valentine's day.

Still a little dazed and tired from his restless night, he manages to get dressed into black joggers and a dark green button-down shirt and search his trunk for his presents to give Draco. He wanted to surprise Draco by showing up at the Slytherin common room before breakfast and give him the presents he got for him. He casts one last "Tempus" seeing as it was six twenty-five in the morning.

"What have you got there, Harry?" Neville asked as he sees the long and thin brown rectangular glossy woodgrain display case that looks like a wand box and it has a gold lock. Not only that, but there was a whole white basket full of little red hexagonal box gifts with brown lids.

"The boxes have sweets, candies, and little messages in them," said Harry a little quietly so he doesn't interrupt Seamus and Dean from their fun under the covers of Seamus' bedsheets. He puts the basket of red boxes down onto his bed and faced Neville with the rectangular display case. He opened the display case by the latch and watches as Neville's eyes widen. He smiled a little and shut the case back up. "I'm going to find Draco."

He grabs the basket from on his bed and immediately makes his way down to the common room. The first person he sees is Hermione who to his confusing was holding a sparkling purple pencil. He didn't even see all Valentine's day decorations around the room. In fact, a few Gryffindors in all age ranges had different coloured pencils and more were spread throughout the common room on desks, chairs, sofas, even on the floor. Some pencils were sparkly and some bendy. "Hermione, happy Valentines day," he said while forcing a smile. "Why are these muggle pencils everywhere?"

Hermione looked over at her best friend and smiled as she walked over to him, noticing the presents in his arms. "Happy Valentines Day to you too," she said sweetly. "I'm sure you know Elton and his buddies. All Muggleborns just like me. He and Nikola are selling pencils to everyone for some reason. They started yesterday and even the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws brought a few. I don't know what their aim is in doing this but since they're older I just leave them to do their thing."

Harry just nods at what she says. He really didn't care about pencils right now as he wanted to see Draco and give the gifts to him. He just hoped the Slytherin liked what he got. "That's nice but I'm going to hurry off to find Draco," he said and took a quick step back. "I'm dying to see his reaction when I show him the gifts that I got him. Goodbye, Hermione!" He was off and out of the common room before Hermione could say anything back to him.

Carrying the gifts in his arms, he rushed down to the Slytherin common room entrance. He didn't know the password which he knew he should have asked Draco for. Luckily enough, he spotted a few Slytherin's casually walking out of the dungeons and up to the first floor of the castle. He just waited at the entrance to the Slytherin common room peacefully until the next two or three Slytherins emerged from the hidden entrance.

"Wait!" he yelled at them and stood in front of the two girls with dark hair and a boy with light brown hair that are slightly younger than him. "Can I come into your common room, please? I have a gift for my boyfriend." The three Slytherin's looked at each other, a little uncertain. "It's Valentine's day after all. Please? I'm begging of you!" He frowned at them. "This is the first ever Valentines gift for my boyfriend. This is very special to me and will be to Draco."

The young boy with light brown hair eventually sighs and nods at Harry. "I'll escort you through to the Slytherin dormitories," he said and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look intimidating. It didn't work for Harry. "I have trust issues when it comes to my friends and protecting my house."

"That's fine," Harry says and immediately nods his head at the secret entrance into the common room for him. He just needed to see Draco. He had to give his boyfriend the gifts he got him. "Can I have your name please?"

The boy looked at Harry with uncertainty yet again but gives him his name. "Michael," he says. He doesn't even bother introducing his friends as he could tell the Gryffindor didn't care about anything but getting these gifts to Draco Malfoy. "Let's go." He whispers the password and as the entrance appears, he walks in with the Gryffindor walking behind him. They didn't even get to the middle of the common room when they heard a soft "Harry?"

Harry recognized that voice. That angelic voice of his boyfriend. He turned around and smiled at his Draco dressed in black trousers and a black long-sleeved cashmere sweater. "Draco, my dear," he says and gives him a morning kiss in the middle of the common room. Only a few people were in the common room. Mainly younger Slytherins. "Happy Valentine's day." He handed him the brown case.

Draco's eyes are skimming over the piano woodgrain display case, and he wondered what was inside. He looked up into Harry's eyes which gleamed with excitement and looked back down at the box. He carefully opened it by the gold latch and the first thing he sees is something golden, and then navy-blue velvet padded material. Opening it up further, he gasps at the sight he was seeing. It was a natural red rose but glazed and gold-trimmed. The rose was glazed with gold which meant it could never expire.

He felt tears of joy pool up in his eyes. This was far yet the most incredible gift he's ever been given. Underneath the rose was a Certificate of Authentication, meaning that this was real gold the rose was glazed with. Overall, the whole rose was dipped in 24 Karat gold. "Oh, Harry," he says and nearly sobs, he placed his hand over his mouth. On the back of the Certificate of Authentication was a message and he read it: The rose has long been a symbol of love and beauty. It is to the flower world, what gold represents in the realm of precious metals. These two timeless symbols of richness and beauty have been perfectly combined in The Eternity Rose. Your rose has been carefully selected, as its peak of beauty. It is guaranteed to last a lifetime and beyond.

"Just like my love to you," Harry says when noticing that Draco has finished reading the back of the card. He smiled as he heard giggles and 'Awwe's erupted all around the common room. He knew everyone around them heard them. That was fine though.

"I love you so much, Harry," Draco said as he looked back up into the eyes of his lover, placed the card back in the box and shut it closed. He immediately wrapped his arms around Harry tightly and kissed him on the cheek, the neck, the lower neck, his earlobe. Just anywhere his lips could reach. "I love the gift. It's so thoughtful and romantic. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

Harry leans away from the hug ever so slightly and places his hands around the Slytherin's neck. He leans forward and presses his lips to Draco's, kissing him softly and lovingly with all he had. It was only a short kiss. He still had to give Draco the next present. "I'm glad you liked it. Here." He handed his Slytherin boyfriend the white basket full of red hexagonal boxes with brown lids. "Your next present."

Draco smiles and couldn't be happier. He loves his Harry with all his heart. He didn't want anybody else but Harry. He takes a look inside one of the hectogon boxes and sees it filled with tiny heart-shaped chocolates. "Yet again I say I love you so much. Oh, I still have my presents to give you."

"Presents for me?" Harry asks in disbelief like he didn't think he'd ever get anything. But that all changed as Draco, with his own presents in one arm, and his free hand twined with Harry's, led him through the hallway to the two arched tunnels and entered through to the next hallway passing all the boys' dormitories from first year until they got to the fourth years.

Draco opened the 4th year's boy's dormitory and led Harry inside. He placed his presents inside the top drawer of his bedside table. He opens the drapes around his 4-poster and watches as Harry's jaw drop. He smiled, places his hand under the Gryffindor's jaw and closes it shut. He wraps his arms around his boyfriend's waists and holds him close.

Harry's just staring at a bunch of stuff that's crowded on Draco's bed. He saw a teddy bear with two red hearts in its hands and one was bigger than the other. The biggest heart had 'I love you' on it and the smaller one had 'I'm yours. No refunds.' He also saw a few boxes of chocolates in all different shapes and sizes, red, white, and pink roses all in different batches, and last but not least a photo frame of him and Draco posing for a photo from the Yule Ball. Portrait Draco and Harry were smiling at him, then turned their heads and looked into each other's eyes. Then they kissed with Portrait Draco leading.

"It's all so wonderful, Draco," Harry says and snuggles into the blonde Slytherin's embrace, still staring at all the Valentine's gifts that are from him. Not once has he retrieved a Valentine gift or flowers and now, he has. "I don't know what else to say except thank you and I love you."

Blaise smiled at what he was hearing and wished he had someone to send Valentine's gifts to and receive them from. He was in his bed, reading one of his fashion magazines and surrounded by closed Slytherin green drapes. He knew he was probably forgotten by Draco and that was okay. Draco had Harry so he was happy as a sunflower.

"What would you like to do today, my darling?" Draco asked Harry who had laid his head on his shoulder, and Draco kissed his forehead with a smile. He's going to put this rose somewhere in his bedroom at the manor. "We can get breakfast and lunch together if you want to. Same with dinner."

Harry lets out a yawn as he feels so comfortable and safe in Draco's arms. He feels like he could sleep for hours and hours. "I didn't get enough sleep last night so a nap with you is my first option," he said and didn't seem to know what he admitted. "Please, I need my sleep. We can have food after nap."

"Of course, Harry," Draco says and leans out of the hug only to move Harry's presents to the end of the bed and pull Harry by the hand into his bed. He shut all the drapes to his bed and just laid down and made enough room to fit Harry in. The Gryffindor laid down, his hands finding their way around the Slytherin's waist and he snuggled in closer. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment as they lay side by side and close the distance between them, closing their eyes, and they kiss slowly in each other's arms. They pull away only a few inches just to breath and place their foreheads against each other.

"I love you, Draco," Harry whispers and has his eyes still closed. He could feel Draco's fringe tickling his forehead and even touching his scar. It sent shivers all through his body even at the single touch. He tried opening his eyes and could only manage halfway where he could see Draco a little clearly who was looking at him with eyes that sparkle with diamonds. He tried opening them up fully, but they just felt too heavy, so he closed them.

"I love you too, Harry," Draco said in a quiet voice and placed a long and persistent kiss to Harry's forehead, feeling his boyfriend silently fall asleep in his arms, and he couldn't have wished for a better Valentines day.

*****

Harry was waiting for Draco by the Slytherin common room entrance alone. He had just gotten the music player off Fred and George yesterday and had put it in the Library's Secret Room for his and Draco's future uses. They had been given a lot of homework these past weeks, so they weren't able to spend much time together unless they were doing homework together in the Library's Secret Room.

"Harry?" said Blaise and wondered what the Gryffindor was doing here. He knew about the romantic relationship his best friend had with Harry as he was told by Draco a few weeks ago. "What are you doing here? Never mind that, I'll just get Draco for you."

Harry just hesitantly nodded, thinking how easy that was instead of just waiting until Draco comes out. He was glad it was Blaise and not someone else like Crabbe and Goyle who had found him. In only a second the entrance opened up and Draco Malfoy exited with a smile.

Draco immediately scooped Harry up into his arms and pinned him to the wall, his smile turning into a smirk. "Look who decides to show up," he said and presses his whole body onto his boyfriend's body, feeling every curve and bump on Harry's front. "My Gryffindor prince with beautiful green eyes."

Harry shushes him with a single finger on the Slytherin's lips, and a blush rises from his cheeks. "I know it's been a week, but did you still want to dance?" he asked the Slytherin with a little smile, actually liking how Draco pins him to a wall. Just any wall. He feels powerless against Draco and he likes it. "I have the music player already down in the Library's Secret Room. It was a bugger getting it down there without me being seen."

"Oh," said Draco and he understands what Harry wants. A dance. He is still craving a dance with his Harry since they last discussed a dance together. "I would love that, Harry. Lead the way, please. I'm wanting to dance with you until my legs are jelly and body is limp."

Harry grasped one of Draco's hands and he turned around with a smile on his face as he leads Draco to the Library. The Slytherin moved closer to Harry and repositioned his hand which Harry held so it intertwined their hands together.

They wandered into the library, walking towards the vertical bookshelves, and opened the secret doorway by the white book which was the trigger. They waited until the torches all lit up with yellow dancing flames and headed down the long hallway to the Oak door at the end. As they entered through the Oak door they sighed, glad to be back in this room.

"How long has it been since we were in here?" Draco asked with a smile, then noticing the familiar music player on the dressing table with stacks of CDs and even some records next to it. He's never seen CDs before. Only the music player bit. Muggle items were just confusing.

"Too long," Harry said as he goes up to the music player and starts searching through the CDs for something they can dance to. Hmm... Pink, Fleetwood Mac, ACDC, The Beatles, The rolling stones. "So, what song shall it be first?"

Draco sat down on the couch, crossing his legs over the other to get comfy and stretched his arms out over the couch's back. He looked up at Harry, watching him look at all the songwriters and their albums. "We should probably check the time first. We don't want to be dancing on empty stomachs."

"Right, of course," Harry said and reached for his wand from in his robe and cast a "Tempus!" The time showed that it was near dinnertime. "Well, if we want to get dinner then we should do it now," he suggested gently. "Then as we finish early, we can come back here to start what we were going to do."

Draco got up and made his way to Harry, wrapping his arms around the boy and hugging him from behind. He kissed Harry on the cheek, reached over to a CD and slid it into the music player. The music player made a buzzing noise to recognize the CD and it played. As soon as the music played, Draco span Harry around until the Gryffindor then faced him and wrapped his arms around his back. Harry slid his hands up Draco's chest and around his neck, swaying to the music with him.

Well, you done, done, me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks  
And now I'm trying to get back

It was a little hard swaying to this music as it was quite an upbeat song, but they eventually got there and tried dancing to the song as best as they could. Harry knew all the lyrics to the song and tried his best not to sing or hum the lyrics. It was a little hard not to. And the lyrics were true to him. His boyfriend is so hot that he melts on both the inside and the outside whenever they're flirting, giving each other pleasure, or just doing random couple things together.

Before the cool done run out  
I'll be giving it my best-est  
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention  
I reckon it's again my turn  
To win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm yours

"I'm yours, Harry James Potter," Draco whispered into Harry's ear and gave his earlobe a little nibble. The Gryffindor gasped at the feeling and nuzzled his nose in Draco's neck, scenting the citrus and vanilla and sighing in satisfaction.

"And your mine," Harry whispered back and kissed Draco on the neck, slightly tasting the vanilla cologne on his lips. He's drunk perfume before as a way of hurting himself. He recalls how painful his throat and stomach had felt a few minutes after swallowing not even a quarter of the liquid. The burning feeling in his throat never went away until a few hours after, and as much as he hated the pain, he dealt with it.

Well open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn you're free  
Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love.  
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing   
We are just one big family  
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved

"I love you," Harry says quietly to Draco's shoulder as the music gets a little softer, and he leaned his forehead on Draco's shoulder. "You know, the happiest I've ever felt was that moment I discovered you love me too. That was our first real kiss together, and the moment on Christmas day when you asked me out."

"I love you too, Harry, and I am so glad I made you feel the happiest you have ever been," Draco said, and he placed his arms around Harry's waist and leaned his chest away from Harry. "I kind of already knew you liked me. It was the times your face turned that beautiful red colour, and you'd get all stuttery when I compliment you, and that time I was under the sleeping potion which you kissed me, and I woke up while thinking it was a dream I had when you kissed me."

Harry smiled and blushed at those memories and he looked up into the sparkling silver eyes he fell in love with. He didn't actually think that Draco knew he liked him. He always tried to hide his feelings, but it seemed he's a bad actor. He doesn't need to hide his feelings anymore though.

Draco loved seeing that smile on his lowers face, and he wanted to kiss it. So, he did. He leaned forward while Harry was clearly in his thoughts about something positive, and he kissed him. Harry, a little surprised and was pulled out of his thoughts by a kiss to the lips by his lover. He kisses back and snakes his arms up and around the Slytherin's neck.

So, I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait I'm sure  
There's no need to complicate  
Our time is short  
This is our fate, I'm yours

As the song ends, they pulled away from the kiss to take a breath and to stare into the other's eyes. The music player buzzed again and started the next song. They danced to all three songs of: Fun - We are young, Bruno Mars - Just the way you are, and Ed Sheeran - Galway girl, ending in spinning, hip bumping, and laughter.

As the next song came on, Hozier - take me to church, they began slow dancing and looking into each other's eyes. Draco pushed back a strand of Harry's hair from his eyes and leaned down to kiss him. Harry kissed back with a smile, as Draco licked Harry's bottom lip for entrance, Harry gave it to him and opened his mouth. Draco entered his tongue in Harry's mouth and caressed Harry's tongue, tasting him once again. Harry let out a soft moan as he felt Draco's tongue enter his mouth and taste him. Draco chuckled in Harry's mouth from the moan and searched and tasted more of the beautiful mouth. Eventually, they broke away, lips bright red and glistening with saliva, and staring back into each other's eyes with love. Harry bit his lip, deciding whether or not he'd be able to French kiss or not. He took it as a no as he'd think he would enter his tongue incorrectly or something.

And then the next song came on. Ed Sheeran - Photograph. Harry and Draco were swaying to the music, arms wrapped around each other tightly. Harry frowned from the song's sad tone and rests his head back on Draco's shoulder. He then started to tear up. The song brought back so many painful memories from his past and the Dursleys including the abuse, torment, and suicide attempts.

Draco heard sniffling coming from below him and kissed Harry's forehead. Was it the song doing this? It did have a sad tone and vibe to it. "Are you all right, Harry?" he asks him with a soothing voice.

Harry nodded sadly and looked up into Draco's silver eyes. He didn't want him to worry. Draco stared back into glossy teary eyes. It was heartbreaking seeing such a beautiful soul so broken and depressed, so he closed the gap between them in a soft and slow kiss. Harry began to cry into the kiss, letting the tears fall down his cheeks and one or two tears entered his mouth.

Draco moved his arms up around Harry into a hug, and he pulled away from the kiss. "You are so loved Harry," he told him gently. "I love you. You don't know how much I would miss you if you disappeared, as well as your friends. Whatever you're going through, you can tell me. You know that, right?"

Harry nodded again, feeling another single tear run down his face and Draco kissed the tear away. "I know, Draco," He said and let the rest of the tears fall down his cheeks. There was so many. It was almost like a river stream on his face. "I love you." His voice was a little shaky as he said that.

Draco smiled at his boyfriend and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you so much and you should know it," he said while he raised a hand up to Harry's face and wiped away the tears on Harry's face with his thumb. "I will keep telling you it every day just so it sinks into you."

Harry gave a small smile, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back on Draco's shoulder. "Thank you," he said softly but hated himself for crying in front of his boyfriend. It made him look weak. Why would Draco want to date someone so weak and pathetic like him? "I'd love that." His voice nearly cracked.

The next song came on. Sad Song by We the Kings.

Harry couldn't help but let every tear he had come out. This wasn't helping him at all. He felt even worse and felt like he needed to be alone. He knew what to do and how much he had to bleed. He pushed Draco away from him gently, even though he didn't want to. He could see the confusion written all over his boyfriend's face and he wiped his tears away, but it didn't help as more tears plummeted down his cheeks like rivers. "I'm sorry Draco," he said and broke down even more. "I don't deserve you; nobody deserves a freak like me. I'm not good enough. I'm just a pathetic-!"

"Don't you ever say you don't deserve someone, and don't you dare say you're a freak!" Draco nearly spat but kept his tone down. He didn't want to upset Harry by being loud. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned off the music player and wrapped his arms around Harry before he could runoff. He kissed Harry on the forehead and tightened his grip on his boyfriend. "You are not a freak! Don't call yourself such a bad word. You are loved by so many people. By me, Weasel, Granger, and by so many people. Every teacher in this school cares about you, Harry. Don't you ever think nobody cares about you because it's not true. So many people care for you, Harry. Your own mother gave her life for you, you should feel grateful. I love you Harry James Potter and I will always do."

Harry sniffled at the small speech his boyfriend gave him. It helps a little but not entirely a lot. "I love you too, Draco. I'm sorry, but..."He shook his head sadly. He can't say it. "Never mind... Can we just... cuddle on the couch?"

Draco sighed as he thought Harry was going to tell him something... something about his depression. He nodded at his broken boyfriend and leaned away from the hug. He intertwined their hands together and led Harry to the midnight blue couch. He sat on the end of the couch, his legs spread apart and facing the other end of the couch. Harry gave a sad smile and laid down on Draco's chest, letting the tears fall down. "I'm sorry."

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and rubbed his hands up and down Harry's back. "No, don't apologize, my beautiful Harry." Harry nodded, blushing slightly from the compliment, and fell into a deep sleep, having Draco keep him safe and warm from everything he's going through. Draco sighed and slowly began to fall asleep as well with Harry on top of him.

*****

Harry was the first to wake up and the first thing he saw was Draco asleep. That is one of the many things he likes to see when waking up, as well as being in his boyfriend's arms. He grabbed his wand and cast a quick "Tempus," showing it's around 3:00 in the afternoon. He and Draco had been sleeping for more than three hours. He looked down at his sleeping prince beside him, loving the way he'd snore. Well, it was more like a purr of a kitten. Draco was his kitten, his frisky, cute, handsome hot kitten. Or was it more of a ferret than a kitten? He didn't know but the sounds Draco made during sleeping melted Harry's heart.

Harry brushed his hands slowly and gently through Draco's hair, watching as the soft blonde locks bounced back into place. He chuckled softly, finding that amusing and adorable. He then leaned down and kissed Draco on the cheek, feeling his soft warm cheeks against his lips. He watched as Draco stirred in his sleep, he knew Draco wasn't sleeping so he trailed kisses down his cheek, down to his jawbone and down his neck. Draco flinched as he felt Harry kiss his neck and in a really nice spot, he leaned his head back so Harry had more room to kiss him.

As soon as Harry saw Draco's silver eyes staring right back at him, he leaned down to kiss those familiar and beautiful soft pink lips. Draco fisted his hands in Harry's hair and pulled him closer, so their bodies were touching, and he wrapped his legs around the Gryffindor's bottom. Harry pulled out of the kiss, leaving a red-lipped Draco staring right back at him. He looked at the position he was in and blushed. He looked back up at a flushed Draco and smiled. "I think we should head back... to erm... have dinner and head to bed. In our actual bed, in our actual dorm and not some dead woman's bed."

Draco laughed at that. Even if the woman's bed was quite comfy, he preferred his actual bed. "Yeah, we should." When the Gryffindor removed his body from his and got up off the couch, Draco did the same but held his hand out to Harry. "Dinner in the kitchens my love?"

Harry smiled at how special Draco makes him feel and grabbed his hand. "Yes, I'd love to my Slytherin Prince," he said and was surprised with Draco kissing the back of his hand. He chuckled a bit from the gesture.

"Shall we?" Draco asked and held out his elbow for Harry to take so they can link arms for their trip to the kitchens together.

Harry linked arms with his Slytherin boyfriend, smiling and began to think about what he wanted for dinner. "We shall."

With a slight nod, Draco led Harry out of the secret room in the library to the Kitchens. They didn't want to be bombarded with questions about where they've been all day when they could have gone to the Great Hall, so they went to the kitchens instead. As they arrived, after tickling the pear in the portrait of the fruit bowl, Dobby came into view wearing all these weird socks on his feet, ears, and arms. It was obviously Hermione's doing.

Harry and Draco sat down next to each other at the long table in the kitchen. Dobby gave the boys happy and surprised looks as he saw them. He jumped up on the table they were seated at. "Harry Potter sir, how can Dobby be at service?"

Draco was about to say something rude as the House-elf didn't regard him at all but let that thought sink into his head. He didn't want to upset or anger Harry by being rude to the house-elf. He didn't want to lose Harry and made sure to keep his opinions to himself.

Harry gave Dobby a smile. He had a couple of ideas of what he wanted for dinner. "Hello, Dobby," he greeted kindly and from under the table, he wove their hands together. "We'd like some dinner, please. "

Dobby nodded, his big eyes widening in excitement. "Sure thing, Harry Potter sir," the little elf said and bowed down, his long nose nearly touching the table. "What would Harry Potter and Mr Malfoy like for dinner?"

Harry contemplated for a moment, and then looked beside him at Draco and poked his boyfriend on the shoulder. "What would you like for dinner, Honey?" he asked the Slytherin next to him and with his free arm, leaned his elbow on the table and rested his hand on his cheek while staring at his boyfriend for an answer.

Draco bit his tongue, thinking of something he'd like to have for dinner with Harry. He decided on a Mediterranean meal. He looked up at the house-elf on the table and said, "Some Mie Goreng, please?"

Dobby looked from Draco to Harry. "Yes, sir." With a slight nod from Harry, Dobby made his way to start the dinner.

Harry smiled and watched as the house-elf disappeared. "So, what in Merlin's name is Mie Goreng?" he asked and looked back at Draco with the slightest bit of confusion in his eyes. "Is it some rich people food?"

Draco snorted at Harry and what he said and kissed him on the cheek. "You're cute when you're confused," he said and watched as that familiar blush spread across Harry's face from his neck. He smiled. "Mie Goreng is a spicy fried dish from Indonesia. It's just fried noodles with chicken, meat or prawns in it. Pretty tasty if I do say so myself."

Harry's jaw dropped a little. He didn't know Draco's been to overseas countries other than Europe. What about Korea, Russia, and Fiji? Has his beloved Draco been to those countries? "Wait..." he said in disbelief. "You've been to Indonesia? Where abouts?"

"No, not really," Draco said with a shake of his head. He does wonder what it would be like to visit those countries. Maybe he can go to those places with Harry sometimes. "I have never been to Asian countries. Only European countries like France, Italy and Spain. Oh, and I've been to Australia and New Zealand."

"Ah," Harry said and nodded a little. But then he scrunched up his face in disgust at the table, hoping this Mie Goreng doesn't have slimy animals in it. "This dish better not have snails or slugs in it. I wouldn't be able to stomach it and will probably lose my appetite for an entire month."

Draco shook his head with a wry smile. He should take Harry to France and make him eat a snail or two. It should be on his Bucket List of things to do with Harry. "No slugs, snails or anything the French have as food," he said firmly and leaned over to place a kiss to his boyfriend's neck. When his Gryffindor tilted his head to the side to give more room, he placed a couple more kisses to Harry's neck. Then an idea popped in his head and he looked around the room with a smirk.

Harry sighed in relief. He didn't want to be eating anything slimy or squishy. "Good!" he said, and that's when he notices the smirk on Draco's face. Uh oh. What's he up to now? "What is it, Draco? What are you thinking of?"

Draco kept the smirk on his face as he let go of their intertwined hands and used his hands to help push himself under the table. He crawled over to Harry's legs and pushed them outwards, now staring at Harry's pants.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Harry asks and he leans down on his side, staying in position and looks under the table. The Slytherin winked at him, making Harry blush, and he watched as Draco leaned forward towards his crotch and the next thing he sees, no, feels, is Draco's nose rubbing at his crotch from inside his pants.

Harry let out a groan and Draco kept rubbing the tip of his nose in a circle on the bulge in Harry's pants. Wanting to feel more than just material, he unzipped Harry's fly all the way until his eyes are met with dark blue material and he presses his nose back on the bulge in Harry's boxers. He smells Harry's musky scent, and it goes directly to his own groin, making his pants feel a little tight.

Draco rubs his face over the bulge, though he knew it was a weird thing to do but he wanted to do such a thing. Besides, he liked doing it as it sent warmth all through his body and he could hear these faint sighs come from above him. He then licks from as far down the bulge goes and up as far as he could go without hitting his head on the table above him. He reaches up and rubs his palm up and down the material, seeing a darkened patch of obvious wetness where the bulge ends.

Licking his lips, he reaches up to the waistband of Harry's boxers and pulled them down until a cock jumped out of the boxers, startling him a little. Breathing heavily, he calmed his racing heart with a few deep breaths. Then he grabs Harry's length, steadying it with his hand, and he licks at the velvety head. He gatheres the pre-come onto his tongue and leaves it there for a moment before swallowing it down. He does it again as he wants more.

Harry gasps at the meeting of a wet tongue on the wet head of his cock and he peeks under the table again. The Slytherin looked like he was enjoying himself a lot, licking Harry's cock in all the right places. On the head, up and down Harry's length to make it wet, around the crown, and even down near Harry's balls even if he couldn't reach them. And then finally Draco closed his mouth over the head of Harry's cock, making the Gryffindor groan with pleasure, and sucked on the head like a kid would to a Chupa Chups lollipop.

"Oh," moaned Harry, and while panting heavily he looked around the kitchen, knowing they were probably being watched by all the house-elves who were invisible to them. Oh, poor Dobby and Winky. Then he rested his forehead on the table, parting his lips at the pleasure. "Very kinky, Draco," he whispers to the wooden table. "A blowjob under the table and we're surrounded by house-elves."

Draco chuckled with his mouth not even halfway on Harry's cock, and he seemed to not care. He didn't care though. He was just enjoying himself right now. He was on his knees, his hands pressing Harry's legs outwards, and he accompanied a few more inches of Harry's cock in his mouth. He had about half of Harry's cock in his mouth when his left hand moved its way to the base of the cock and began jacking the rest of it.

He couldn't exactly bob up and down, but he tried to. Harry's hands found their way under the table and in Draco's hair, gripping tightly as Draco flicked his tongue and massaged under the head of Harry's cock, and his head moved back and forth when swallowing him whole. The Slytherin kept the gentle suck for what seemed like forever, but was probably only two or three minutes, and he was listening to his boyfriend's beautiful moans and sighs coming from above him.

Harry wanted to buck forward into Draco's perfect mouth but felt as if he was glued to the chair. The Slytherin bobbed his head up and down, back, and forth, at a fast pace and practically sending the Gryffindor into a state of euphoria. He endured the burning sensation in his throat, and the tip of his boyfriend's cock hitting the back of his throat and wished he could see Harry's face from under the table. To see his boyfriend falling apart from the pleasure.

Suddenly, a loud groan was heard, Harry's fingers gripped onto Draco's hair violently tightly, and Draco felt the head of Harry's dick explode in his mouth. A flavour of fruit, pine, nuts, salt, and honey all at the same time satisfied his taste buds. The Slytherin kept swallowing and swallowing the semen filling his mouth, except for the film of sperm that coated his tongue and inner cheeks. He loved the taste of Harry more than anything else in the world. Including apples. 

He continued to deepthroat Harry's cock with his mouth as the Gryffindor spirals from his orgasm, but eventually, he had to pull away from his boyfriend's soft cock and just stare at it for a few seconds. Blinking, he gave a kiss to the velvety head, put Harry's cock back in the dark blue boxers and zipped him back up. He crawled back up onto the seat, his legs spread apart and facing Harry, and smiled at his boyfriend who had a bead of sweat run down the side of his forehead. "I love you," he says sweetly and places a lingering kiss to Harry's cheek. "I don't think I'm hungry for dinner anymore, but I will still eat dinner. Oh, and it's your turn."

Harry just blinks and leans his head on Draco's shoulder, trying to find where his innocence has gone to. He just let his boyfriend suck him off in front of house-elves. God... Merlin, forgive him. "I love you too, Draco," he eventually says and leans away, turns his head to the side and looks at his boyfriend. He swipes his thumb along Draco's bottom and top lip, gathering the semen from the Slytherin's mouth onto his thumb before pressing his thumb to Draco's parted lips. The Slytherin closed his mouth over Harry's thumb, closing his eyes, and sucked off the semen like it's a sweet he's been craving for months.

Harry pulled his thumb out of Draco's mouth and started to crawl back under the table, but Draco grabbed him by the hand, making him look up at him. "Where do you think you're going?" he asks in a whisper, lets go of Harry's hands, and starts unzipping his fly.

"Draco!" Harry whispers and shouts at the same time, trying to stop the Slytherin from giving the house-elves a really pretty sight to see. "We're not particularly alone here! House-elves exist you know."

Draco rolls his eyes with a smile and ushers Harry under the table. "Fine, get under the table then," he says and moves his legs under the table. When Harry crawls under the table, Draco starts for Harry by unzipping his fly all the way and before he has a chance to pull down his white boxers for Harry, a hand swatted his hand away. He then feels a tongue on his prick and groans a little.

Not wanting this to take too long, Harry pulls down Draco's boxers, and his boyfriend's hard pink cock forcefully sprang up and flung a string of precome up across Harry's forehead and nose. It seems the Slytherin has been turned on for a while and has been growing harder like he's about to release his seed in a few seconds. Harry smears the precome from on his forehead and nose onto three fingers and then sticks them in his mouth, not wanting any droplets to go to waste. God, the Slytherin tasted good.

He first pressed his nose to the Slytherin's cock, smelling his musky scent and inhaling more like his boyfriend's dick is a lovely smelling flower. He sticks his tongue out, grabs the base of Draco's cock, and licks up from where his nose was pressed until he reached the head, then he opened his mouth over the head and took in three or four inches of his boyfriend's length.

He felt the Slytherin slide across his tongue as he deepthroated him, coating his cock in saliva. He took in a few more inches until the head hit the back of his throat and his nose was nestled on Draco's groin. He loved having his boyfriend's cock deep inside his throat where it grew harder inside him.

Harry pulled off, this time stroking the Slytherin with his hand at a fast pace and pushing Draco over the edge. "Yes, Harry." He could hear the silent moan from above him, knowing Draco's covering his head in his arms over the table. Watching the Slytherin's cock jerk up, he licked his lips and took Draco back in his mouth again, sucking harshly as the Slytherin shot three loads of semen into his mouth.

He felt Draco's semen pool up in his mouth and most of it slowly seeped down his throat. He swallowed the rest easily and licked the Slytherin clean of any come. He pulled away with a smile and put Draco's cock back in his boxers and zipped him back up. He crawled out from the table and sat back down on the seat, looking at Draco with a shimmer in his eye. When Draco looked his way, he pressed his lips to the Slytherin's in a little peck.

"Is master Harry Potter and Mr Malfoy done yet?" came the voice of Dobby the house-elf, who had a hand over his eyes and had jumped onto the table, nearly falling over. Behind him came two bowels of delicious smelling food that could only be their Mie Goreng but with forks already in the bowels and they landed in the centre of the table in front of the two boys.

Draco nearly jumped out of his seat, and Harry nearly fell off the chair as the house-elf startled them. They blushed deeply and had forgotten they weren't alone in the kitchens. "Y-You didn't hear anything did you, Dobby?" Harry had to ask but figured he knew the answer.

"Dobby and his friends know everything, sir," said Dobby with a wry smile. Then he shrugged as he said, "Dobby and his friends are used to it. Dobby and other house-elves have been apart of at least one Pureblood family. House-elves know what baby-making is." Then he grinned at the Slytherin. "Dobby has seen how Mister Draco Malfoy was made. But Dobby didn't stay long. Dobby left and continued doing Dobby's chores around the house while Mister Draco Malfoy was being made by Mistress Narcissa Malfoy and Master Lucius Malfoy."

Harry bursts out laughing from what Dobby is telling him and Draco's face just becomes even redder as he knows his former House-elf had been watching his parents make him in bed. "Uhm Dobby... we don't need to know anything else," he says shyly and grabs the bowels from the table, putting one in front of Harry and the other in front of himself.

"Dobby asks of Mister Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy to do that elsewhere and not in the kitchens where Dobby and all Dobby's house-elf friends are working," the house-elf requests them. "Enjoy the meal. Dobby must go and clean dishes."

Harry eventually stopped laughing as Draco patted him on the back, cupped his face and surprised him with a loving kiss to the mouth and a tongue entering past the Gryffindor's lips. He pulled away as he tasted something salty and scowled as he knew what it was. So, he leaned down to Harry's neck and gave him a few kisses up and down his neck. Even a few sloppy kisses which made the Gryffindor moan a little. Knowing he's getting sidetracked; he leaned away and began eating his meal.

"Tease," Harry said softly, nudging Draco in the arm as he regained his thoughts and innocent feelings and grabbed the fork and twirled it around some noodles in the bowl. When is the last time he had a noodle-based dish? A very long time. The Slytherin chuckled and tried stealing from Harry's bowl but Harry flicked at his arm to shoo him away from his food and hissed a, "My food!"

Draco tried not to chuckle again as that hiss sounded hot. Has he heard Harry speak in Parseltongue since the second year? He doesn't remember at all. He wants to hear it again. "Do you mind saying that in Parseltongue or at least something in snake language?"

Harry rolled his eyes and looked Draco in the eye, looking him up and down, left, and right. "You're ssso beautiful," he said in his Snake Language, smiling at the amused expression on the Slytherin's features. "Don't you know your eyesss glimmer in the mosst beautiful way?"

"What exactly did you say?" Draco asked as he tilted his head to the side. He had no clue what Harry said. He wanted to know though. It could have been something innocent, or something downright dirty and hot.

Harry shook his head and tried the Mie Goreng for the first time and actually liked it. It had a nice taste to it. Unless that was because of Draco and the type of fluids he swallowed down that came out of Draco's body. "That you're beautiful and your eyes glimmer in the most beautiful way, which they do."

Draco felt his heart flutter for a moment. His cheeks warm up and he leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek. "That so sweet of you to say, my lovely Gryffindor boyfriend," he said sweetly with a gentle smile.

"I'm honestly so lucky to have you in my life," Harry says to his bowl of Mie Goreng. Then he looks up at Draco, smiling as he watched his Slytherin slurping up the noodles. "You're like a part of me that was missing and then I found you and made me whole."

Draco looked beside him at Harry and smiled. He wanted to reply but his mouth was too busy eating his dinner. He pushed aside the thought of being down below Harry, in between his thighs, and worshipping a part of his boyfriend with his mouth.

Harry dipped his thumb in the red sauce and quickly wiped it on Draco's forehead. "Simba!" he said with a smile and watched as Draco froze with the fork halfway up to his mouth, and the red mark shining on his forehead.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry and wiped the sauce of his forehead. "What the bloody hell was that for?!" he asked in an almost demanding tone. But he did want to know why Harry did such a thing. "And what in Merlin's Beard is a Simba? Is it a type of spell or Potion I've never heard of?"

Harry cackled, finding it funny how Muggle Movies can be so funny to act out. He should do Aladdin next and charm an actual carpet to fly. It's actually a good idea. "It's just from some Muggle Movie and involves cartoon lions."

Draco kept rubbing his forehead, hoping he got the sauce off and asking himself what a cartoon is. Harry laughed at his Slytherin boyfriend. "What is it?" he asked him, almost in mockery. "Afraid it might stain your adorable pale complexion?"

"No," Draco said with a roll of his eyes and continued with his dinner. He couldn't be angry with Harry, especially for calling him adorable. Compliments he accepts with all his heart. It is just these little weird ridicule phrases and doings Harry's giving him he chooses to ignore even if he does like them. He will never admit it though.

Harry watched as Draco finished his dinner in under nine minutes. Is that even possible or is he just a slow eater? Raising an eyebrow in amusement, he asked, "How do you finish a meal that fast? You're like a damn cheetah."

Now it was Draco's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean how fast?" he asked the Gryffindor a little bitterly but added in a smile just so Harry doesn't feel susceptible in some way. "I finish my meals in a normal amount of time, thank you very much."

Harry just smiled while he was trying to finish off his own meal which he was only halfway finished. He wasn't really capable of eating the whole thing, but he tried for Draco. The more he ate the fuller he became until he couldn't eat anymore.

Draco looked down into Harry's half-eaten meal and sighed a little. "Need a little help there?" he asked him with a lick of his lips, wishing Dobby could have made more of the Asian food. "And how are you so slow at eating? You're like a turtle."

"Oh," Harry said and looked down at his meal sadly. "I- um... Well, let's just say the Dursleys feed me whatever my cousin doesn't eat. Which is not a lot, usually vegetables." He feels like he has told someone this before. Has he? He doesn't remember but continued on. "And yes, you can help me eat the rest of my food."

Draco's smile turned into a frown; he was pleased Harry was telling him something but angry at Harry's so-called relatives. What is their problem? Don't they know how amazing this boy is? "I'm sorry to hear that, Harry, and I wish you could have told me this before," he said in a soft tone. "I'd do anything to help you, I'd always let you stay at Malfoy Manor over the holidays instead of going back to those... Pathetic Muggles. Mother wouldn't mind at all; half the manor doesn't even get used. It's always the Dining room, sitting room and the entrance Hall."

"Thanks, Draco," Harry said animatedly and would entwine his hand with Draco's. "I know I should have told you this earlier... I just need time to fully come out to you and I really appreciate you trying to help me. If I could, I'd love to stay with you at your house, but I don't think Dumbledore would allow that. In fact, why is he always controlling my life?! Giving me to my Aunt as a child, growing up in such an ab- bad.... household and probably will make me stay there for the first month of the Holiday."

Draco gave Harry a sad look as he helped Harry finish off his dinner. He was downright angry at the professor. Harry was right. Why is the Professor controlling Harry's life? Yes, he's the most powerful wizard in this century, but still? "We can talk to Dumbledore if you would want to?"

Harry sighed, not believing Dumbledore would ever let him over at Malfoy Manor. He has a good reason not to and it's the name of Lucius Malfoy. "He would probably laugh in our faces if we asked him if I could stay over at Malfoy Manor. He probably thinks there will be Death Eaters coming in and out of your manor."

Draco smiled at that. It would be hard getting Dumbledore to agree to something like letting Harry stay over. "As I said before, my mother makes sure there are no Death Eaters in the Manor while I'm around. Besides, we can ask if you could stay at the Burrow. Unless mother knows of another one of our houses in Australia or Italy. I think we own a manor in Venice somewhere, can't be sure because I don't remember it much. I was about ten when I last was there."

"I wouldn't mind staying at the Burrow," Harry said with a shrug but thought about how lonely he would be without Draco there. Ron and Hermione would be there, of course. But he would want someone to kiss, hug, and cuddle with He scooched closer to Draco to whisper into his ear, "Or even someplace romantic in Italy or Paris all alone with you."

"I wouldn't mind it at all, my prince," Draco said and held out his hand for Harry again. The Gryffindor chuckled and took Draco's hand. The two boys left the kitchens and headed back towards the Great Hall, where they would separate their ways and head to their house common room. Before they could, Harry turned around and shoved Draco into a wall and kissed him hard. The Slytherin didn't even try to take control. Harry's hands intertwined with the Slytherin's, and he pushed them against the cold stone wall at shoulder height.

Draco hesitated as the impact hurt but kissed Harry back just as intensely. He let Harry be in control, liking this new change. When they pulled away for a breather, both their hearts were beating loudly against each other's chest and their lips were red and swollen.

Harry decided to take the first few steps backwards and waved at Draco. He didn't want to say goodbye but if he'd spend another night now in bed in his dormitory his dormmates will become suspicious to where he would have been. Except, of course, Seamus, Dean and Neville would have thought he'd be with Draco. Which of course, they wouldn't have been wrong. "Goodbye, my love."

Draco waved back at him with a slight colour to his cheeks. He still wasn't used to the pet names. "Have a good night sleep, my darling." He blew a kiss towards Harry. Harry smiled and pretended he could see the kiss, caught it, and patted his cheek to place the kiss on his cheek. They both then returned to their rightful dormitories for the night.

Harry was just walking to Gryffindor common room when he heard a squeak and a flutter of leathery wings come from down the corridor. He looked up and saw a black bat with red eyes flying towards him. He froze. He knows muggles get scared of bats. Is it because of rabies? He watched the bat stop and stare down at him from a few meters in the air, it's wings fluttering gently in the air and its eyes blood red. 

He watched as the corners of the bat's mouth went up. Did it just... smile? But then the bat took off and flew past Harry, causing a small amount of wind to hit Harry on his neck. Harry just watched it go and blinked. Maybe he's seeing things? Yeah, that's probably it. Still very confused, he made his way to his destination. 

As Harry entered his dormitory, he was bombarded with questions from Dean, Seamus, and Neville. Ron was trying to sleep, ignoring everyone in the room as he held his pillow to his ears. "Harry, where have you been!" Dean asked first.

Harry was about to answer but was interrupted by Seamus. The Irish Gryffindor chuckled at his dorm mate who entered late, "Oh, I'm sure he was off with Malfoy somewhere, possibly snogging in some dark corridor somewhere."

"Oh, shut up Seamus!" Neville spat at his Irish dormmate and looked back down at the book he was reading about magical Mediterranean plants. He just didn't want to bother Harry with such questions about what Harry and Draco were up to alone.

Harry sighed and dropped onto his bed with a smile. He looked over at the pillows, seeing the teddy bear Draco gave him from Valentine's Day sitting with its back to the bedhead. "I was with Draco, yes," he admitted with a nod as he looked over at his dormmates. "We did kiss, multiple times. And we had a lunch date, kind of."

"Shagged?" Seamus suddenly asked, smirking at his dorm mate. He wanted to know if Harry and Draco's started anything sexual yet. He was curious, and he knew Dean was too. On the bed beside him, Neville was reading silently but had an ear listening into the conversation.

"Shay!" Dean said in a warning tone to his boyfriend and shook his head at him. He didn't want this going too far. "Leave him alone. Even if he did shag Malfoy, he wouldn't want to tell us about it. Now go. To. Sleep."

Harry almost snorted at that but managed to just smile. Seamus wasn't wrong though. "Actually... we kind of gave each other blowjobs," he admitted while feeling his cheeks burn with a blush to them. "And it wasn't our first time." The room suddenly grew silent and Harry now wished he didn't say anything.

"Are ye kidding me?" Seamus then asked his dormmate with raised eyebrows, clearly surprised at the information he's being fed. When Harry didn't say anything but shake his head, he then had to believe him. "That's incredible! How long have ye and Draco been doing that for?"

"Um..." Harry said a little uneasily, and he sat up, rubbing his arm up and down. Could he say it? After a moment of thinking about if he can, he finished. "The first time happened during the night of the Yule Ball. After dinner at the tables, we headed out and he took me to the Slytherin common room and to the boy's dormitory. We were making out on his bed, and his knee touched a part of me and rubbed that spot over and over again until I... um... you know. And err... he cleaned me up with his tongue and mouth. He gave me my first blowjob and then I did the same for him."

"My goodness," said Dean, a little flabbergasted at Harry's sexual coming out. "Congratulations, you have lost your virginity to Draco's mouth." Seamus snickered beside him, and Neville sighed at what he was hearing. "So, you haven't had full on sex with Draco yet? As in pole in the arse?"

Harry shook his head. He hasn't had that kind of thought before. It's always just blowjobs. "We haven't had that kind of sex yet," he told him and smiled at the thought. But he always keeps thinking if he and Draco have taken it too far at times. "But was it okay to give each other a blowjob back then when he and I had been dating since Christmas? Or was it too early?"

"It was never too early, Harry," Seamus then said, getting both his dormmates attention. "Ye can start doing whatever with Draco whenever ye're ready. And so ye know, people around the world do have sex on the first date. Even gay couples."

"Shay and I never started anything sexual until a month after our first date," Dean said and smiled over at his boyfriend, remembering the night very well. "We did the do when we both were ready. There's nothing to worry about, Harry. Whenever you're ready, go find Draco and tell him you want to have the best time of your life with him."

"Honestly, guys," said Neville and rolled onto his other side to narrow his eyes at his dormmates. He doesn't want to hear any more about their sexual lives. "Please stop talking about this. I don't want images popping into my mind while I am trying to sleep."

"Fine," Seamus said with a sigh. He pulled up the covers of the sheets above his chest and laid down on his side, facing his boyfriend and closed his eyes.

Harry grabbed his pyjamas and headed into the bathroom to have a shower. He looked in the mirror after the nice warm shower and everything from today had come back to him. That was including the songs that made him tear up and remember the Dursleys.

He rolled up his sleeves past his elbows and stared at his cuts from days and weeks ago. The latest ones were from a few days ago. He had the urge this morning and it didn't stop except for when Draco was with him and comforted and kissed him. And now, the urge was getting stronger. He leaned back and forth against the sinks, his breathing becoming heavier as he knew Draco was thinking that he was someplace safe and away from sharp objects.

Harry knew what he had to do, but did he want to do it? The answer clawed through his head. Yes. He wants to cut and there's nobody to stop him or hurt him. No Ron to call him Faggot or disgusting muggle words he learnt from somewhere. Probably from his own father. He wondered how Molly would have taken to hearing those words come out of his mouth. Harry sighed sadly and turned around, knowing what to do. He didn't want to feel pain any more right now, even if he knew it only made him know he was human.

He walked out of the bathroom, made sure the coast was clear and headed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He hesitated and made sure he really was alone and no certain wailing spirits were around. When he knew he was alone he walked up to the sinks, opened the cupboard up and grabbed the little container containing his friend. He spelled it open and grabbed a blade, admiring the sharpness of it. He placed the tin back down on the sink and looked up at himself, holding a blade to his arms. "Look how pathetic you are," said a voice in his head. "You're a cutter, a freak. Freak's don't deserve love. You don't deserve Draco. He's an Upper-class wizard. You're not. You're just a freak who deserves nothing but pain."

Harry frowned and made five cuts deeper into his arm and let the blood roll down his arm. All the anger and pain started slowly draining out of him, he soon started to feel rather dizzy and his vision was blurring. He turned the tap on and ran the icy cold water over his cuts, hissing in pain and watched the blood disappear from his arms. He cast a drying charm on his arm, placed the blade back into the tin and spelled it shut. He rolled down his sleeve and placed the tin back in the cupboard and closed it shut. He numbly walked back up to the common room to his dorm, quietly entered the dorm and got into bed. He closed the drapes around his bed him and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

*****

Harry walked away shaking from the close encounter of Filch and Snape. It was too much of a close call. Professor Moody had taken his Marauders Map from him.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked into the library the next day. Harry laughed sadly, Cedric was sitting at a table by himself, a large stack of books discarded next to him. He looked up at Harry and gave him a wink and turned back to his book, flipping pages to find who knows what.

Harry faked a smile at the Hufflepuff and sat down beside Hermione and Ron, reading the muggle book Hermione had given him. It helped him keep calm, reading was his comforter. Just reading and thinking you're in another world, it took him away from his depression for a while. It's only when the book gets sad or frustrating to read, that he gets bored and depressed.

*****

It was now a week until the next task and Harry made his way to Charms alone. That's what he wanted to be, all alone. That is until he heard footsteps come running up to him. He swiftly turned around, blinded by a glistening of whiteish blonde hair and lips that smashed on his own. Harry kissed the Slytherin back, moving his hands up the Slytherin's arms and around his waist. He loved how Draco can be in the morning, so lovable and sweet. "Hello, my love."

Draco pulled out of the kiss with a smile. He gave Harry a peck on the cheek and placed his arms around Harry in a hug. "Morning, Darling," he said to Harry's ear and gave a little affectionate nibble on the Gryffindor's earlobe. "How was your slumber?"

"It was fine," Harry lied with a small sigh at the affection Draco was giving him. He nuzzled his nose into Draco's neck, suddenly wanting to cuddle with him and forget about classes. But the best part of going to class today is that he will be in the same class as Draco. Charms.

Draco saw the dullness in Harry's eyes and frowned. He really worried for his boyfriend, wanting so much to help but doesn't know how. All he can do is tell Harry and show how much he loves him, and to listen to Harry whenever he's talking about deep things. "Let's head to class," he said and hid his worry with a little smile and gave Harry a kiss on the neck. "I don't want us to be late."

Harry nodded miserably, entwined his hand with Draco's and headed off to class by his side. As soon as they entered, they noticed Professor Flitwick was already there seated at his desk and reading a book with a yellow binder. "Morning, Professor," Harry finally said, giving a fake smile to the Charms Professor.

The tiny Professor looked up at the two boys. His eyes travelled down to their entwined hands and smiled. "Morning Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy," he said and gestured them to sit down somewhere in the classroom. "You're here early."

Draco nodded and smiled back at the professor. He had no idea when the students will be arriving in the classroom but thought of something to make time go quicker. "Do you think we can practice some spells we haven't learned yet?" he asked his professor kindly while leading Harry over to a desk at the back of the classroom.

The professor just nodded at his student and got back to reading without saying a word. He trusts them to not misbehave or use the wrong type of spells in his classroom.

The boys sat down at the furthest desk and pulled out their textbooks. Draco searched through his textbook for something to try. With a spell in his mind, he closed his textbook and pushed it down three desks beside him. He pointed his wand at the textbook and said, "Accio 4th year Charms book!" The book flew towards him and landed in front of him on the desk. He smiled and cast the counter-spell. "Depulso!" The book flew back to where it was on the third desk beside him.

Harry pointed his wand at Draco's robe as he had a spell in his mind, and he thought of the Gryffindor colours. "Colovaria!" He said and watched in amusement as Draco's Slytherin robe turned into a Gryffindor robe, just without the Gryffindor crest.

"Hey!" Draco said to his boyfriend and clenched his jaw in annoyance. Two can play it that way. He pointed his wand at Harry's robe and thought of his own house colour, "Colovaria!" He watched as Harry's Gryffindor coloured robe turned into a green Slytherin coloured robe. He chuckled and stared into Harry's green eyes.

The robe's colour made Harry's eyes stand out more and become lighter and Draco thought that was beautiful, so he kissed Harry. He didn't care if it were in the classroom in front of a teacher that he kissed Harry or if students started filling the class. Harry kissed back softly, then he did what he thought he'd never known would do. He licked across the bottom of Draco's mouth, fighting for entrance to the Slytherin's mouth but as soon as Draco opened his mouth the professor caught them.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat but smiled at his students who he can see love each other truly. It was lovely to see. Especially as a professor. "Ahem, Boys!" Harry and Draco sighed and looked up at their Professor, seeing him shake his head to stop their snogging.

"Sorry Professor," the two boys chorused with light blushes on their cheeks. They then watched as the classroom began to fill with students. The Slytherins first, and then came the Gryffindor's. Harry watched as Ron walked into the classroom behind Seamus and Dean, and Hermione and Neville. He sighed and turned his head around to look Draco in the eye. He pushed back a lock of Draco's hair from his eyes and kissed his warm glowing cheek.

Draco smiled lovingly at Harry and was glad the Gryffindor's low mood had changed a bit. He intertwined their hands together under the table and barely listened to the professor greeting the class or even acknowledging who was in the classroom.

"Today we'll be learning about the Confundus Charm," said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky voice. He looked around the classroom at his pupils. "Can anyone tell us all about the charm?" And of course, Hermione raised her hand. He smiled at the young girl. "Miss Granger, do tell us about the Charm."

Hermione nodded, glanced at Pansy with a smile and looked back to her Professor. "The Confundus Charm is a charm which causes confusion in a person or bewitches an object," she answers proudly. "It appears that there are varying degrees of confusion caused by the spell, from simply tricking a person or thing about a specific incident to confusing a person to the point at which they endanger themselves."

Just as the Professor granted ten or more points to Gryffindor house for Hermione's great explanation of the Charm, Harry sighed and leaned his head on Draco's shoulder. He's already feeling fatigued and it hasn't even been half a day yet.

The professor furrowed his eyebrows at his class, giving them a stern look. "Now, this is a dangerous charm that requires a lot of concentration. Watch my wand movements then practice the spell." The professor levitated cages with rats in them and gave one to each of his students. The last rat he put on his desk and pointed his wand at it, "Confundo!" The rat sniffed the cage then fluffed up into a ball of fur, screeching at the cage. It then tried to mimic cat noises.

Hermione watched the rat who looked like it was suffering. The poor thing. She scrunched up her nose in worry. "Professor!" she snapped. "Please, stop tormenting the rat! You're hurting it! Look at it."

The Professor looked over to his distressed student and said, "No need to worry, Miss Granger. It doesn't hurt the rat, only confuses it. It is harmless." Hermione opened her mouth to protest but closed it as she had nothing to say. She still didn't like the way the professor uses charms on animals to make them do stuff unwillingly.

Everyone then started practising the spell on their rodents. Harry only used the spell once; he didn't like confusing the rat. He'd hate to be under the same spell, and he felt for all these rats. Lavender and Hermione did as well. They refused to cast it on the rats, only the cage. Harry couldn't help but look at how Draco was doing. Draco made the rat think it was a rabbit, making it bounce around the cage on two feet with its hands up at its chest. Harry poked Draco on the shoulder, and as soon as Draco made eye contact with him, he shook his head and whispered, "How would you feel if that rat was you?"

Draco gave an apologetic look to Harry and he pointed his wand at the rat and muttered, "Finite incantatem." Harry nodded in approval and gave Draco a small peck on the cheek as a thank you. Draco smiled, lifted Harry's chin up to meet his own and kissed him square on the lips.

"Dra mph," Harry mumbled as he felt lips touch his own and he kissed back, almost falling off his chair as his boyfriend's kisses always make him feel a little lightheaded sometimes. He just didn't want to ruin the moment by talking either.

The professor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose at the happy couple happily snogging in his classroom. "Boys!" he nearly snapped but kept his tone down. "Must you leave your snogging until after class?"

Harry and Draco quickly pulled out of the kiss and blushed guiltily. The whole class turned their heads to see a flushed Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy looking away from each other. Hermione, Pansy, and Blaise chuckled at the duo. As the class finished, everyone headed down to their next class.

Throughout the week, Harry and Draco decided to keep their snogging to a minimum. They decided to also sit with their houses during classes just so they don't get to carried away with watching each other and wanting to kiss every single minute. It was hard, but worth it in the end.

*****

Harry was down at the owlery on a Thursday evening, deciding on how to reply to Sirius. He held his quill in his hand, bit his lip, and started writing.

_Sirius  
Draco and I might not have gone together to the Yule Ball as a couple, but we did dance together after Fred and I danced first with the other champions. Fred and George really are good dances. And I don't think I'll be telling you about the sexual relations I have with Draco. I think keeping it just between me and Draco is better. And I kind of told my dorm mates about the first time I had with Draco so that's "fine." _  
_Draco and I are so grateful you want to take Ivy home. Merlin knows she definitely needs a caring parent right now. Oh, and we have plenty of photos to share with you from the night of the Yule Ball as Draco had the photographers take many pictures. We can fill the whole album up in no time! _  
_Harry ___

__Harry placed the letter in an envelope, sealed it and gave it to Hedwig. He watched the white snowy owl fly off into the sunset and out of sight. With a smile, he headed back to Gryffindor Tower to get some shut-eye._ _


	17. Loving Waters

Harry met Draco back in the library's secret room on a Tuesday evening which was the night before the second task. He brought the Golden Egg too so he could show Draco it as he didn't think Draco has seen the egg. The Slytherin would know about the task, but only little bits of it, as Harry's told him months ago.

It was a nice stormy evening; dark grey clouds were moving over the landscape with a downpour of rain. As Harry entered through the big Oak door, he spotted Draco looking through all the CD's, placing one set of CDs to the left and the other to the right. He decided to sneak up behind Draco and wrap an arm around the blonde and kiss his cheek as a welcoming. "Good Evening."

Draco turned around, hands supporting his weight on the sides of the dresser and leaned forward to give a quick kiss to Harry, not seeing the golden egg in the sight of his eyes. Harry kissed back eagerly and snaked his hand up and around Draco's neck, pushing him closer to the blonde. Draco leaned away with a smile and flicked his wand at the muggle music player beside him, turning it on and it started playing a song. It was Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac.

Harry, having an idea what they're about to do, places the egg next to Draco's wand. But then the Slytherin sees the golden egg and his eyes seem like they're glued to it. He has seen Viktor Krum with a similar egg before. He didn't question what it was as he wanted to dance with Harry.

_So long ago  
Certain place  
Certain time ___

__Draco places his wand down, twines his hand with Harry's and leads him to the middle of the room in front of the fireplace and couch. He places his arms around Harry's waist while Harry places his arms around Draco's neck, and they stare into the depths of each other's eyes as they dance to the soft music._ _

___You touched my hand  
All the way  
All the way down to Emmeline ___

__They slowly danced around in a circle on the spot with their bodies touching and no gap left in between each other. They didn't care what was happening around them or what's happening outside of the walls as all that mattered was being with each other and expressing their love for each other with little kisses here and there._ _

___But if our paths never cross  
Well, you know I'm sorry but ___

___If I live to see the seven wonders,  
I'll make a path to the rainbow's end  
I'll never live to match the beauty again  
The rainbow's end ___

__"What exactly is this song about?" Draco asked quietly while they continued dancing together. All he hears is something about rainbows and whatever the Seven Wonders were. The Seven Wonders sounds like something to do with Wizarding things such as Seven Magical Objects. Could that be what this lady meant in her song? But this is a muggles song._ _

__"There are many different concepts of the song," Harry said and tilted his head to the side like he was expecting a kiss. He didn't though. "Some muggles believe it's about Witches and having these seven wonders of Powers. Not Wizarding World Witches. These Witches don't need wands to do magic like we can."_ _

__"Oh, so they can do wandless magic then?" Draco asks him and to his confusion, Harry shakes his head. "That doesn't make sense though. There aren't different types of Witches. Not unless they're talking about the blood type of the Witch."_ _

__Harry shook his head again, and he smiles and found it cute how Draco didn't know that much about the muggle culture and their different versions of witches. "No, muggles just believe there are different types of witches. They have these stereotypical witches who have green skin, a long pointy nose, and who cackle a lot and spread evil around the land. Then there are witches who are good and use nature as their source of power such as healing medicine and plants. The muggles even believe in Merlin and Arthurs round table."_ _

__"I wonder who told the muggles about Merlin," Draco said, his voice sounding a little dreamy and wondrous. "And what the punishment they were given when they told the muggles. Would it have been a hanging or a decapitation?"_ _

__"I don't know," Harry said with a light shrug. "It's what nearly every muggle knows. That if Arthur existed, then Merlin would have too." He frowned a little at the two ways people had died in the past. He could already hear The Queen of Hearts yelling 'Off with your head' from Alice in Wonderland at him._ _

__"About these witches," Draco started the previous conversation back up as he could see the frown appearing on his boyfriend's face. He hoped what he said didn't give Harry any ideas or even... No, he couldn't think that. He didn't want to think about if Harry had tried committing... "If they don't use wands then how do they cast spells?"_ _

__"It kind of is wandless magic but they don't need wands in the first place," Harry says and links his fingers together behind Draco's neck. "They use incantations like we do but without hand movements. The woman singing this song, Stevie Nicks, many people believe she's a witch. The other concept of the song is the famous landmarks of the world such as the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Italy, the Grand Canyon, The Northern Lights and others I've forgotten."_ _

__"Oh, but the lady shouldn't be allowed to-" Draco was cut off when Harry placed a finger to his lip, shushing him. He smiled at the gesture and reached a hand up to grab Harry's hand, his other arm still wrapped around Harry's waist, and he started kissing Harry's finger, and then down to the palm of his hand._ _

__"No more talking and more dancing," Harry says and Draco rolled his eyes and licks Harry's finger. He smiled as he held back a groan and leaned his head on Draco's shoulder, swaying to the music, arms wrapped around Draco's neck. The next song started playing, 'I want it that way' by The Backstreet Boys._ _

___You are my fire  
The one desire  
Believe when I say  
I want it that way ___

__The couple tried dancing to the song, and to the rhythm but found it hard to. So, they tried their best to just make up dance moves for the song all the while more keeping close to one another._ _

___But we are two worlds apart  
Can't reach to your heart  
When you say  
That I want it that way ___

___Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a heartache  
Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a mistake  
Tell me why  
I never want to hear you say  
I want it that way ___

__Draco led Harry by the hand with a smile on his face to the couch. He pulled the Gryffindor down on top of him as he fell down on the couch. They listened to the five last songs together in each other's arms as they had no idea how to dance to the rock n roll music. Then a familiar song came on when they were on the verge of falling asleep. Perfect. By Ed Sheeran. They laughed, dragged each other off the couch and slow danced to it._ _

___I found a love for me  
Darling just dive right in  
And follow my lead  
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet   
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me  
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love ___

__Harry couldn't help but close his eyes and kiss Draco as he held the Slytherin dear in his arms. He ran his tongue against Draco's bottom lip, hoping he did it right. Draco opened his mouth, wanting to feel Harry tasting him again, and their tongues twinned together. Harry fisted his hands in Draco's hair, forcing his head closer. Draco led them back towards the couch, fell onto it and they dropped hard against each other's bodies._ _

__Harry was laying down on top of Draco and let out a silent "mmm" in the kiss. Kissing Draco felt wonderful! He was so soft, chapped, and gentle. He pulled away and licked his lips, loving the taste of Draco in his mouth. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest, lips were red, swollen and he was panting hard for air. "That was wonderful!"_ _

__"You're wonderful!" Draco said silently and cupping his hands over Harry's cheek, smiling as Harry's eyes shone from the flames of the fire they were to the side of. He absolutely loved how the flames dances across Harry's skin, making him almost gleam with a light that cannot be touched but worshipped._ _

__"No, you are," Harry said sweetly with a chuckle and moved his head to the side to Draco's palm. He kissed Draco's palm multiple times and in different locations such as over the life line and marital line. The Slytherin's hands were so interesting, and all the palm lines._ _

__"What's with the golden egg?" Draco asked the Gryffindor's who's doing wondrous things with his fingers on his palm. It actually tickles. "I've seen Viktor Krum with the same egg and I'm wondering if you contestants are cheating by telling each other by a secret egg about the next task."_ _

__Harry chuckled and shook his head. "No, we're not cheating. It's the clue to the next task." He would never guess Viktor Krum out of all other people would cheat on the task and tell the others what it's about. "Didn't I tell you of the task? Something that I will miss will be at the bottom of the lake tomorrow and I'll have to swim down there and get it in an hour. It could be an object or something else."_ _

__"How are you going to find that object in under an hour, Harry?" Draco asked and his eyebrows drew in together with concern. He had to know how his boyfriend was going to survive underwater in under an hour._ _

__"I'll be using Gillyweed," Harry said to assure Draco everything will be fine. "It's a magical Mediterranean plant that will last for an hour and will help me breathe underwater. There's no need to worry. I'll be fine." He then sighed and looked up at the ceiling though it was hard not to look at Draco. "We should head to bed."_ _

__Draco sighed. He didn't want to go to bed without Harry by his side. He grew to accompany Harry sleeping with him for months. They've only slept together a few times and he would like to make it one more time. "Do we have to go back to our dorms?" he asked him with a pout. "I want to stay with you."_ _

__"Yes, we have to go, and I want to stay with you as well, but we must be back before curfew," Harry says and gets up from the Slytherin and off the couch. Draco groans and snuggles into the couch's pillow, making Harry smile and grab him by the arm. "Let's go, Draco. You can have all the hugs and kisses you want tomorrow after the task or even before it if I find you."_ _

__That made Draco smile and he sat up on the couch. He reached out his hands to Harry and when the Gryffindor helped him up, he put an arm around him and they both walked over to the exit of the Secret Library Room. When they were at the spot in the castle which they had to depart both ways, they kissed each other passionately and headed off._ _

__Draco neared the dungeons when he spotted the headmaster coming towards him. What was the headmaster doing walking around the corridors? Maybe he was looking for curfew breakers. "Hello, Professor," he said with a confused smile._ _

__Dumbledore had the same twinkle in his blue eyes as always. "Good afternoon, young Draco Malfoy," he said coolly like he had nothing against Draco wandering the castle at this chilly time of night. "May you please come with me?"_ _

__Draco nodded. He had to follow the headmaster's orders of course. He just hoped he wasn't in trouble. It wasn't curfew though. He followed Dumbledore to his office. As soon as entered the headmaster's office, he saw Chang, Granger, and a little girl in light blue silk pyjamas. He wandered over and stood behind the Ravenclaw._ _

__Dumbledore walked around his desk and sat down on his chair. He looked up at the four students with clasped hands and a smile. "I'm aware you're all wondering why you are here. This is about the task that will be held tomorrow. Has Harry, Cedric, Gabrielle or Viktor told you all about the task and what they must do?" Fleur and Draco nodded._ _

__"No, he has not, "Hermione said, sounding confused but also a little disappointed. She would have liked to know what Harry and the other contestants was up against tomorrow so she could wish him and the others luck._ _

__"I see," Dumbledore said solemnly. "Well, I'm hoping you all know about the Golden Egg?" The four students nodded. "Virtuous. The clue to the Golden Egg is to take a missed possession from each of the contestants that they will surely miss. Does everyone know who they are for who?" Gabrielle and Hermione nodded whilst Draco and Cho shook their heads._ _

__The professor looked over to Cho through his moon-shapes glasses, "Well, Miss Chang. Cedric would be yours." And then he looked at Draco with a smile. "And I'm sure you know you are Harry's possession, Mr Malfoy. And a dear one to be exact."_ _

__Draco nodded with a slight blush to his cheeks. He didn't think someone could be chosen as a missed possession. He thought it would be an object and not a who. He stared down at the floor with a smile, knowing how much he loves Harry and how Harry returns the same feelings. Has Harry known this entire time that he would be down in the depths of the Black Lake, waiting to be saved by his Gryffindor prince?_ _

__"That reminds me, can I talk to the professor alone?" Draco then asked the three students. They all either looked up to Dumbledore for a nod or just walked out of the office without being dismissed. He stepped closer to the desk. "It's about Harry."_ _

__Dumbledore nodded and gestured Draco to sit down as everyone else left the room. Draco hesitantly sat down and bit his lip as this was important to talk about. "I was wondering if Harry could stay somewhere else rather than with his relatives this summer," he said and just hoped his headmaster will agree to this._ _

__Dumbledore put a finger to his lip and tapped it in though. He doesn't exactly want Harry going anywhere as he knows Harry is safe with his relatives. "I will think about it, Draco," he told him sincerely. "I am thankful you care about Harry a lot, but his relative's blood can protect him from Voldemort."_ _

__Draco made his lips form a straight line as he stared down at the floor. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and looked back up at the Professor. "Do you know what he goes through at his so-called relative's house?!" he said and raised his voice a little. He didn't want to snap at the headmaster and risk being suspended._ _

__Dumbledore shook his head. He didn't think Harry was going through anything. "Regrettably not but if he were in danger, I'd be looking into it," he assured the young Slytherin with a smile._ _

__Draco tried not to let out his anger and frustration. "I've seen Harry with..." He tried to forget about what he saw in the bedroom as he came out of the bathroom. He looked back up at the professor, letting a tear drop down his face which he has been holding on for who knows how long. "He has cuts on his arm, sir. I'm afraid... He's suffering from something at home. It's why I want him to either come home with me or he and I could go to one of my family's manor's that only my family know about."_ _

__Dumbledore sighed at this Slytherin's offer. He doesn't trust the Malfoy's and he has a good reason not to. "If you're implying what I think is right, then I will think about where he should stay," he said but knew he wouldn't exactly act on the truth._ _

__Draco let out a small nod, hoping this was a yes to his idea. "Thank you, professor. I'd love to have Harry over the summer holidays," He said and looked to the ground, starting to frown. "I just want him to be happy and enjoy life. It's all I want as his boyfriend."_ _

__Dumbledore understood this teenager's worries. "I'll try my best to do what I can, Mr Malfoy," he said just to assure the teenager. "However, rest assured you can go visit Harry at his relative's house anytime you want. Just, if you go by broom but make sure you stick to the sky."_ _

__"But Professor, I don't want him going back to that monstrous family!" Draco began to lose his temper and start snapping. "Don't you know what they do to him?! Even I don't know, and I hope they don't abuse him but I'm afraid that could be the reason Harry's so depressed. But I don't know." He gets up from his seat and sighs, looking over at the phoenix perched on its stand._ _

__"I love Harry so much," Draco continued softly as he began to think about emerald green eyes. "I hate seeing him thinking he's a freak. He's told me he was a freak and doesn't deserve to be loved by someone. Do you know how that feels to me?! It's so bloody heartbreaking to hear that coming from your own boyfriend! He's so broken! I want to do everything I can to give him as much love as he needs to feel happy. I want to give him a family. A loving family! None of those bloody abusive Muggles of his. At least if he's safe with my family, he can be safe from them!"_ _

__Dumbledore just let Draco shoot out his worries about Harry to him. He never gets mad at anyone who shouts at him. "Can I hear more about this place?" he asked casually as he needs to know more about these manors that the Malfoy family own._ _

__Draco took a few moments to calm down to be able to talk again. "It's only known to my father, mother and I," he told his headmaster firmly. "Nobody else in my family knows of it. Not even my aunts. It can't be tracked down by other Wizards of even the Ministry so I'm positive no Death Eater will be able to track us down."_ _

__Dumbledore indeed was liking the idea of this mysterious place. He silently cast a quick and small non-verbal spell on Draco without his wand. "We'll see, Draco. I can't promise I can take Harry away from his relatives, but I'll try."_ _

__Draco wiped away a few tears falling from his eyes in anger, frustration, and sadness. He just hoped his headmaster wasn't lying to him. "Thank you, sir," he said and walked towards the exit. "I'm going to have to go now."_ _

__Dumbledore nodded solemnly and waved goodbye to the teenager. Draco headed his way back to the Slytherin dungeons to head to bed. He hoped it wouldn't hurt being put underwater for an hour._ _

__*****_ _

__Harry woke up bright and early with a yawn. He felt like he had a guardian angel watching over him through the night because he didn't have any nightmares. He looked beside him in bed and saw the teddy Draco gave him with the two red hearts on it that says 'I love you. You're mine and no Refunds'. He smiled at it and pulled it to his chest, hugging it while thinking of Draco._ _

__A quick "Tempus" told him it was around 6 in the morning; the second task starts around 10 am. He got up, dressed himself in his school uniform, grabbed a red box of chocolates Draco's gave him from Valentine's Day because nobody was there to stop him from eating chocolate for breakfast. Well, he had to eat the chocolate soon or it will go off. He needed a little help eating it anyway. He exited his dorm, leaving an inactive Neville, Ron, and Dean behind to sleep in._ _

__Lavender then came out of nowhere and face to face with Harry. He stepped a few feet back, so he was at a good distance from her. He's never talked to her at all. She's always too chatty. "Sorry," he said and then notices that she looks as if she's been crying. He opened the lid of the box of chocolates and held it out to her. He's not the one to share but she seems like she needs some comfort food._ _

__"Harry?" asked Lavender worriedly and sniffed as she looked to the ground. "Do you know where Hermione is?" She gave him a sad smile and pulled out a little chocolate in the shape of a seashell. She hasn't seen her dormmate all night. It's like she disappeared during the night. She stuffed the chocolate in her mouth to stop herself from tearing up. She raised her eyebrows as she tasted watermelon._ _

__"Um... no, actually," Harry said and shook his head. He hoped Hermione went to bed last night. "I don't know where she is." Then he paused and began to hope Hermione was okay and where her location is. "Why, do you think she's in trouble?"_ _

__"I certainly hope not," said Lavender at once. "It's just, I last saw her last night get into bed. She seemed very happy when she strode into the dorm last night. The time I woke up she was gone. It's like she was taken in her sleep."_ _

__Harry saw that Lavender had a few tears in her eyes. Poor thing. "Oh, don't worry," he said softly and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "Knowing Hermione, she's probably fine. Maybe she is in the library reading her soul away in some new book she hasn't read before."_ _

__"Okay, then," said Lavender but she still didn't look like she believed Harry. She sighed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. "See you around I guess. Thanks for the chocolate, Harry."_ _

__Harry watched her leave until she was out of his sight. He does hope Hermione is okay and someplace safe. He then exited the common room to go to Breakfast before the next task. Ever since the incident with Ron, people seem to have stopped staring at him. He walked into the Great Hall for some breakfast. When he got to the Gryffindor table and sat down, he looked over at the Slytherins and could not see Draco. He sighed to himself, feeling a rush of sadness spread over him._ _

__Suddenly, Harry saw a glimpse of familiar Black long wavy hair. It was Ivy, but she seems sad as she had a frown on her face. He walked up to where Ivy was at the Slytherin table near Pansy and Blaise, forgetting about his hunger boiling inside of him. He can just eat with the Slytherin's. "Ivy? What's the matter?" He places the chocolates in front of him for his Slytherin friends to pig out on. He reaches for a teddy bear looking chocolate and bites into it. The first thing he tastes is lemon._ _

__"It's Draco," Pansy says immediately as she looks around the room for any sign of her best friend. Even Fleur's little sister and Hermione's not here. She helps herself to a few of Harry's chocolates. "He's gone and we can't find him. We searched the common room and Blaise looked in the boy's dormitory."_ _

__Harry looked around the Grand Hall. He noticed Fleur's younger sister and Cho had gone missing from the Ravenclaw's table too. "It seems that people are disappearing, first Hermione, now Gabrielle, Cho, and Draco. We all can go looking for him after I finish this Task." He knew he should check the secret rooms he and Draco only know of. Maybe Draco didn't want to go to the dorms and just slept in the Ravenclaw room or even just back in the Library's Secret Room. "Anyway, we need to eat. Especially if I want to get this over and done with."_ _

__Pansy nodded and stirred a breadstick in her tea while Blaise just looked over at the Gryffindor table with a flat expression. Ivy was only eating a small meal of just a bowl of fruits with yogurt. Harry grabbed a bowl and added two pieces of Weetbix into it. He filled the bowl up with milk, grabbed some fresh grapes from the wooden bowl in the centre of the table and added them into the bowl._ _

__Ivy snuck a spoon full of Harry's breakfast of Weetbix and grapes into her mouth. She made a throaty noise to say she liked what she was tasting. "Hehe!" she said silently and grinned a little. It was something she's never tried before._ _

__"Hey, that is my food!" Harry nearly snapped and lightly smacking her hand away but failed as she got another spoon to her mouth. He was eating as much as he could for Draco since the Slytherin is missing with three others. He just hoped was in one of the rooms and fast asleep still so when he goes down to one of the secret rooms, he finds him all snuggled up under a blanket and sleeping peacefully with a smile on his face._ _

__"Fine, you're no fun!" Ivy said and slowly gave the pile of toast in front of her on the table a smirk. What she needed was to distract her mind from the sadness that's growing in her heart by having a little fun with her friends._ _

__The smirk Ivy gave Harry reminded him of Draco. He couldn't help but frown as he began to eat his breakfast silently. "Do you have your eye on a certain someone?" he suddenly asks her as he gathered the little bite-sized pieces of Weetbix on his spoon. He wanted to know so he can tease her in the nicest way possible._ _

__Ivy looked behind her over at the Gryffindor table to where Lavender was and smiled Dreamily at her. "Oh, not really," she told him and completely ignored Pansy's giggles and Blaise's snort of disbelief. Those two know damn well who she likes, and she hopes they keep it a secret. "I don't like anyone that way."_ _

__Harry looked over his shoulder to where Ivy was watching and saw Lavender look back at Ivy with reddish cheeks. "Nobody eh?" He asked her in disbelief and gave her a half-smile. "Then why are you looking at Lavender Brown like how Hermione looks at Pansy?"_ _

__Pansy spits out her tea into her bowl of porridge and smiles sheepishly as she leans away from the bowl. Did Harry mean it? Does Hermione look at her in a loving way? "Um, Harry... is it true that Hermione...? Does she um... like me?"_ _

__"You really shouldn't have said anything, Harry," Ivy said with a slow shake of her head, and she looked at Pansy and smiled. Then she sighed at the question Harry gave her earlier, knowing it really isn't a secret anymore. "I may have a huge crush on Lavender, yes." She hesitated and looked at Blaise with a grin on her face. "Anyway, speaking of crushes and whatnot. I have seen Ron and Blaise eyeing each other occasionally."_ _

__Blaise looked up at the older Slytherin girl in disbelief, not really believing that Ron would actually like him. The Gryffindor has said his beliefs of Gay people and lesbians so... he doesn't want to hang around Ron much. He is gay after all and doesn't want to be called names by the guy he likes. "That's true..."_ _

__Harry looked up at Blaise in surprise. He would have never guessed that Blaise would like his best mate. People surprise him every day. "I guess everyone can be a little gay sometimes," he said with a smile as he was thinking back to the song Ivy sang weeks ago during Breakfast. It was a good song, and he would like to thank the songwriter for it._ _

__Ivy chuckled softly as Harry remembered the song she sang, and she swirled her spoon in her porridge, sinking the fruits and nuts in the milk. "Yeah," she said and began to silently sing one of her favourite songs._ _

___My legs are dangling off the edge,  
The bottom of the bottle is my only friend.  
I think I'll slit my wrists again and I'm gone, gone, gone.  
My legs are dangling off the edge.  
A stomach full of pills didn't work again.  
I'll put a bullet in my head, and I'm gone, gone, gone. ___

__Pansy looked at Ivy with a slight frown on her face, not liking the song Ivy's singing. It's a depressing song as she can tell from both the melody and the words that are coming out of Ivy's mouth. Blaise was looking down at his toast, also frowning and Harry just closed his eyes and listened to the song which is kind of relatable to what he's done before._ _

___Gone too far and yeah, I'm gone again.  
It's gone on too long, tell you how it ends.  
I'm sitting on the edge with my two best friends.  
One's a bottle of pills, ones a bottle of Gin. ___

___I'm twenty stories up, yeah, I'm up at the top.  
I'll polish off this bottle, now it's pushing me off  
Asphalt to me has never looked so soft.  
I bet my momma found my letter, now she's calling the cops. ___

__"Ivy, that song is kind of... dark and depressing," Blaise said as he was giving Ivy a concerned inward look. He knows she's depressed because he's seen how down she looks nearly every single day when he's with Draco and Pansy. It's concerning because even if he's not a best friend to her, he still cares for her._ _

__Harry finished his Weetbix and Grapes, then looked up at Blaise as he hears the words 'Dark' And 'Depressing' coming from the Slytherin's mouth. Those two words he's grown to nearly flinch whenever someone mentions them. He felt a little happy that he was able to eat something without feeling sick just by staring at it._ _

__"Oh, it's just a muggle song," Ivy told them with a faint smile. She couldn't wait to head to class so she can listen to her music through her phone offline and the best thing is that her professors don't even know what earbuds are, so she gets away with listening to music while in class. It's honestly the best as she can listen to any kind of music she wants._ _

__Pansy looks up from her breakfast at the entrance into the Great Hall and her face suddenly brightens up. "It's Draco!" Harry, Blaise, and Ivy immediately look up and smiled at the blonde-haired Slytherin._ _

__Draco just stood at the Great Hall doors, leaned on the door with a smile on his face and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at Harry but nobody else as he knows Harry would have been wondering where he was. If only he could tell Harry why he disappeared this morning and must do again._ _

__Harry immediately gets up from the table and rushes over to Draco. He grabs him by the hand, leads him out of the Great Hall and pins him to the nearest wall. His arms are on either side of the Slytherin's shoulders, trapping him with his body. "Where the bloody hell have you been?" he asked his Slytherin quietly and leaned forward, brushing his bottom lip over Draco's bottom and top lip._ _

__Draco smiled at the little loving gesture and captured Harry's lips in a quick kiss. When Harry's not paying attention to what his arms are doing, Draco places his hands on Harry's abdomen and slides them behind his waist, holding him dearly and loosely. "Me and a few others who I cannot say the names of had to meet with Dumbledore this morning and talked about a few things which I cannot say," he said as he pulled away from the kiss. "I had to get up early and have a quick breakfast, it's why I wasn't seen by Blaise, Pansy, or Ivy during the morning."_ _

__"Oh," said Harry, still a little curious, and he slid his hands down the wall until they were waist height from Draco. Who were these few other's Draco's talking about? He was a little too distracted with Draco and his white-blonde hair, shimmering silver eyes, beautiful complexion, and sharp jawbones to really think about who else was with his boyfriend earlier._ _

__"I love you," Draco says with a soft and loving tone as he remembers how Dumbledore told him that he's Harry's most missed possession out of everyone else in Hogwarts, and he tilts his head to the side just to admire his boyfriend's appearance._ _

__Harry smiles at the three words he loves hearing come from Draco's mouth and his hands found their way up to the Slytherin's neck. "I love you too, Draco," he says sweetly and rubs his nose over Draco's, enacting a kitten. "Are we going to head to our classes together but head different ways when we get to a certain point in the castle?"_ _

__Draco shook his head and wanted more than anything to stay with Harry instead of being put under a spell and tied to a rope at the bottom of the Black Lake. "I wish I could, but I have to disappear again for a little while," he told him earnestly. He saw the frown appear on the Gryffindor's face and frowned himself. "And before you ask why I must go, I'm sorry but I can't tell. You'll see me before lunch, and I promise I'll tell you everything then."_ _

__"Okay," was all Harry said before he pulled Draco in for another kiss. His eyes closed just as Draco's lips touched his and everything around him became nonexistent except for the feel of Draco on his mouth and pressed against his body. It was a much slower and tender kiss than the previous one they shared but that didn't matter at the moment._ _

__Draco just wanted one last kiss with Harry before he must go back to Dumbledore and get put under a spell and a potion. He just hopes nothing happens under the water that either risks his life or Harry's. He pulls away from the kiss and presses his forehead to Harry's. "I must go now. I'll see you soon, my darling."_ _

__"Yeah, I'll see-" Harry was going to finish his sentence, but Draco had already walked away with a smile. He watched the blonde Slytherin and that arse disappear around the corner of a hallway into a different hallway. He sighed as he was already missing Draco and decided to head back into the Great Hall like nothing happened. He noticed nearly half of the chocolates in the box had been eaten. He looked at the guilty faces of three Slytherin's with a side-smile._ _

__When he sat down with Ivy, Pansy, and Blaise, he was immediately given questions by the two girls about where Draco has been, why he decided to show up now and why he isn't eating with them. The list just went on. "Draco is fine, guys," he assured them with a smile. "He is just with Dumbledore with a few other students. He and those students had to get up early and have a quick breakfast. I still don't know why. Are there some extracurricular activities or tests students are doing?"_ _

__"Not that I know of," Ivy said with a shake of her head and played with the sultanas in her palm. She wondered what Draco and Harry did away from the Great Hall except for the obvious snogging. "What else did he say?"_ _

__Harry looked down at a bowl of apples, the smile on his face widening as he replayed the last five or more minutes in his head. "That he loves me," he said and rested his elbow on the table, his hand holding up his cheek as he stared up at the ceiling of the Great Hall dreamily. What he did made Pansy and Ivy giggle at him._ _

__"So, Draco has finally admitted his love to you with those three words," Blaise said with a satisfied smile and felt proud of his best friend. Though he figured the three words already had been said as Harry and Draco have been together since either Christmas day or a few days after Christmas. He doesn't know the exact day those two started dating. They would have been dating for two months already._ _

__"Anyway, so, um..." Harry said as he quickly got up from his seat as he had to go to class. "I'm going to head to class early. See you guys after." He gave them all a quick smile and turned to leave the table, hearing goodbyes and best luck for the second task from Ivy, Pansy, and Blaise. God, the second task. Another anxiety-ridden task that risks his life. Before he headed to class, he went back up to Gryffindor Tower to put the rest of the chocolates away._ _

__Harry made his way down to Transfigurations early. He looked around the corridors as usually, Draco would come running up behind him to give him a kiss good morning, but it happened minutes and minutes ago. He misses Draco's good morning kisses and wants more. They always spread this light and warmth through him, and it makes him a little happy until his mood is brought down again._ _

__When entering the Transfiguration classroom, he went and sat down in the usual spot he and Ron would sit. He sighed and remembered the last time he was with Draco when they weren't worried about the whereabouts of the others. It was Yesterday afternoon, dancing with him to old 70's music in the library's secret room. He closed his eyes and remembered all the songs they danced to. I Love Rock N Roll, Go your own way by Fleetwood Mac as well as seven Wonders. The list just went on. Harry didn't even recognize someone standing in front of him. He quickly looked up but frowned, only seeing Professor McGonagall. "Hi Professor," he said impassively._ _

__The strict professor gave Harry a concerned look, clearly seeing him without his best friends and with half of a frown on his face. "Hello, Mr Potter," she said in a soft and soothing voice. It normally works with her other students so they can tell her what's wrong. "Are you all right?"_ _

__Harry nodded, trying to mask out his sadness by forcing a smile at her. He wished he could have a 'Malfoy Mask' or at least some kind of mask to keep him from looking sad. All he can do is fake a smile to everyone he sees, hope they believe he is alright but most of the time it's just hard to try and smile._ _

__Professor McGonagall didn't believe her pupil. She's seen how low he's been throughout the year of teaching him. "May I ask if anything has happened between you and Mr Malfoy?" she asked him carefully. "I know you guys have made a truce and have started kissing, which I'm very happy about. But do you know where he is?"_ _

__"I trust he is with Dumbledore," Harry said as he remembered what Draco told him. "He's not alone though. There are a few other students with him." Then he realizes something. Fleur's sister is missing, Hermione, and Cho Chang too. Would those three other girls be with Dumbledore and Draco? He doesn't understand._ _

__The Professor nodded but still didn't believe him. She knows it takes time until students fully come out to teachers. "Very well, Harry," she said and made her way to her desk and sat down. She conjured the items that will be used for the lesson's class and placed two of each on every student desk._ _

__As soon as everyone filed into class, the Professor began to speak and start teaching the class of the new spell "Crinus Muto," which changed the style and colour of one person's hair. Harry couldn't think of even concentrate on the lesson as his mind was too busy focusing on what Draco was doing right now and why Dumbledore wanted to see him and the three girls. Could there be other students beside Draco, Gabrielle, Hermione, and Cho? As soon as he heard the bells ring for class to be finished, he made his way down to his common room as he had the rest of the morning free as the task was only a few forty minutes away._ _

__Harry quickly made his way up to the Gryffindor tower, saying the password to the Fat Lady and entering the common room to his dorm to get into some swimmers and his red and black jersey and tracksuit pants. He put on his leg holster and put his wand in it for down in the Black Lake. Doing all that took away ten minutes of his time. He then realized something. He doesn't have the Gillyweed with him. "Shit," he said quickly and began to pace around the room. How was he going to do this? How was he going to survive?_ _

__Just his luck, Neville had entered through the dormitory and immediately looked at Harry. "Hello, Harry," he said with a little wave, and then he noticed Harry's pacing and grew concerned. "Are you ready for the task?"_ _

__"Do you have the Gillyweed?" Harry asked his dormmate at once and stopped pacing, his hands clenching and unclenching anxiously. It's the only thing he needs right now to survive the task if he finds this missed possession of his in the bottom of the Black Lake. He just hopes he finds it in time. He doesn't want to lose it, whatever it is._ _

__Neville's faced paled a little, and he immediately went over to his trunk and opened it. He searched through his trunk while Harry began pacing again. The pacing didn't help him with searching for the Gillyweed and time wasn't helping Harry at all. "What time does it start? The task?"_ _

__Harry quickly cast a "Tempus" and sighed a little heavily. "About twenty-seven minutes, Neville," he said impatiently and sat down on his trunk, tilting his head back and gazing up at the roof of the dormitory. He couldn't waste any more time. He looked around the room, just finding any spot and yelled, "Dobby!"_ _

__While Harry didn't see Neville's winces from his loud voice or his frown, Dobby the house-elf popped into the dorm. "How can Dobby help Mr Harry Potter, sir?" the little house-elf asked and noticed how impatient Harry looked. "What is it, sir? Dobby scenes Harry Potter's impatience."_ _

__"I'm not impatient!" Harry snapped at his house-elf. He didn't even regret doing it. He watched Dobby wince from how loud he was. Was he reminding Dobby of Lucius Malfoy and his snappish tone? God, he hoped the hell not._ _

__Dobby looked up at Harry, feeling tears form in his big eyes as he has never been talked to like this by Harry Potter. He pointed at Harry like he was telling off a little kid. "Dobby does not tolerate Harry Potter shouting commands and that kind of behaviour!" he spoke back but with a shaken and loud voice._ _

__"Look, I'm sorry," Harry then says with a soft tone and suddenly regretted his irritable tone at the house-elf. He doesn't want Dobby hurting himself all over again. "But please, do you know of anything that can help me-"_ _

__"I got it!" Harry was cut off with Neville's shout, and Neville closed his trunk and showed Harry the glass jar of water in it and floating inside the water was Gillyweed. "I have the Gillyweed. It was on the bottom of my trunk. I forgot I put it there as anything that's important I put at the bottom."_ _

__"Thank god!" Harry said with relief and raised his hands up to press his palms to the eyes. He went over to Neville and gave him a bear hug. "Thank you! Thank you, Neville. Believe it or not, you saved my life."_ _

__"You're welcome, Harry," Neville said and patted him on the back with his free hand while his other held the jar to his waist. He could feel the jar slipping in his hands and he didn't want to drop it as his hands are a little sweaty. "Please let go. I don't want to accidentally drop the jar."_ _

__Harry lets go of Neville and gives him a smile as Neville hands him the jar. "Thank you again, Neville," he says quickly and makes sure he has everything for the task. He quickly Accioed a dark blue towel towards him and heads to the door by walking backwards. "I better go. See you if I make it out alive!"_ _

__When Harry left the room, Dobby looked up at Neville and asked, "If Harry Potter has nothing to ask for Dobby, then do you, sir? Does sir want anything before the task? Biscuits and Tea?"_ _

__"I think I'll take some Chamomile tea, thank you," Neville said to the house-elf with a little smile. He wasn't really hungry, but he wanted the nice house-elf to do something since Dobby never got to do anything for Harry. "Oh, and some pecan biscuits."_ _

__-_ _

__Harry rushed through the castle and he looked down to the Black Lake from the Viaduct Entrance. He couldn't really see much other than three stands on the Great Lake but then he saw a few people already making their way down there. A quick "Tempus" told Harry that it was around 9:52 am. Only 8 more minutes to go._ _

__Harry kept wondering where Draco could be and if he's safe and down at the stands. He opened the jar, grabbed the Gillyweed from the inside, stuffed it in his tracksuit pants and started making his way down to the Great Lake. He noticed it was around 9:57 from a quick "Tempus" from his wand. He saw boats being lined up across the Black Lake, as well as students getting in them._ _

__Harry remembered he had to swim, literally swim. If he took off his jacket people would see his cuts. This was dangerous. He could get found out and he didn't want that. He made sure nobody was around and rolled his sleeves up past his elbows to reveal his cuts. He grabbed his wand from the leg holster, pointed it at his cuts and muttered, "Vulnus Expleret." He watched as the cuts vanished, leaving only white scars behind._ _

__A loud muttering of noises came from behind Harry and he looked behind him to see the many Hogwarts, Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students coming down from the castle to aboard the boats. Harry joined many of the students as they travelled across the Black Lake to the big platforms._ _

__******_ _

__The Second Task_ _

__It was now 10 am. Harry, Cedric, Fleur and Victor were lined up waiting for Dumbledore to count down. Harry had his wand in his leg holster, Gillyweed in his left hands and waited along with the other contestants. Harry unclothed himself so only he had on his swimmers, he then remembered the cuts on his arms. Harry glanced over at his arm and sighed as they only looked like cat scratches now._ _

__He looked up at all the students on the platforms, trying to find familiar white-blonde hair that belongs to his boyfriend. He didn't see him at all. He was pushed out of his thoughts as Dumbledore told everyone what the contestants must do and started to count down from 3._ _

__"3..." When Dumbledore started counting, Harry quickly made sure he had everything he needed. Wand? Check! Gillyweed? Check! "2..." Harry quickly put the Gillyweed into his mouth and started to chew. It wasn't a bad taste, but it wasn't a good taste. It was a very interesting flavoured thing. "1..." It tasted more like sushi than wet soaked weeds to Harry. He was able to swallow it, but it was hard going down. "GO...!" Dumbledore shouted._ _

__All the students started cheering the contestants on as they all jumped into the water. Harry felt himself sinking down, down, down into the Black lake and he watched as Cedric and Fleur started to swim away with some kind of bubble on their head as well as Victor who looked like he tried to transform into a full shark but failed._ _

__Back up on the platform_ _

__"Where did Harry go?" Seamus asked Dean who was holding his hand and squeezing out of anxiety as he didn't see his dormmate anywhere in the water. It was scary to watch someone he knows and cares about sink down into the water._ _

__"Not sure," Dean said while tightening the grip on Seamus's hand. He just hoped Harry was okay wherever he was in the Black Lake. "You think he's okay down there? Already swimming around and finding whatever it is he needs to find?"_ _

__"Aye, probably," Seamus said and looked beside him at his boyfriend who was narrowing his eyes at the lake like he could see the bottom._ _

__Back in the Black Lake_ _

__Harry looked down, trying to see if he could see the bottom. He was struck by a funny feeling inside of him and he looked down at his feet. All of a sudden, bubbles had started to run all over Harry's feet, all the way up to his legs, past his hips and over his head. As the bubbles cleared, the sight overwhelmed him. His feet had become flippers, his hands were webbed like a frog and his neck had grown gills. He exhaled, then he slowly inhaled water. It felt extremely weird breathing water in from his esophagus. It was a little sloshy, but he had to get used to the feeling._ _

__Harry realized he had a task to do so he swam away from where the platforms were and searched around for something, anything that would give him the slightest idea about what he had to look for. He swam and swam around the Black Lake for about 20 minutes and then swam into what looked like a bunch of seaweed._ _

__What the actual hell? He felt something grab onto one of his webbed feet. He looked around at the bottom, couldn't really see anything in particular that had grabbed him. Out of nowhere, these tiny creatures were swarming all around him. He had no idea what to do, so he just grabbed his wand from his leg holster and cast a quick spell that sends the creatures rocketing away._ _

__Harry quickly swam away from there and cast a quick "Tempus" which told him he had half an hour left. He then saw a creature that looked extremely interesting. It had a fishtail but half a human body, seaweed for hair and sharp teeth. It couldn't be... A mermaid? Harry swam towards where it was heading and was surprised as he found that the Black lake had its own underwater town._ _

__He couldn't distract himself now. He searched around the town until he saw a little group of what looked like students. There, he knew what was happening. One of those students had to be someone he cared deeply for if they were something he will surely miss._ _

__He swam towards the group of students and the first person he saw had a familiar sight of White-ish Blonde hair. Draco? He swam over to him, reaching out his webbed hand to touch Draco's soft one. He then swam closer to the Slytherin, closed the gap between their bodies and he pressed his forehead to Draco's. So, this is why Draco had disappeared this morning. He thanked Godric Gryffindor that Draco was alive but what was he under? A spell? A potion?_ _

__Harry leaned back a little and studied the Slytherin's complexion, getting lost at how beautiful Draco is. He smiled to himself as he remembered all the times that he was with him alone, snogging and dancing. Harry watched as Draco's whiteish blonde hair was just flowing in the water, he couldn't help but touch it as it swayed._ _

__He looked to the side and saw Fleur's little sister, Cho Chang, and Hermione. He was glad Hermione was alive otherwise he would have to gather up a gigantic search party to find her but luckily that won't happen._ _

__Then Harry looked back at Draco and slid his fingers carefully down Draco's face, thinking about when he will be able to do the same when Draco himself was conscious. His eyes suddenly looked down at Draco's lips. Harry's lips started to tingle as he just wanted to kiss Draco, but he remembered what Ivy and Hermione said about some 'True Loves Kiss', and that it can break any curse and apparent spell._ _

__Maybe if I... Harry thought, but then recalled about what would happen in he woke Draco underwater. No, he can't do that. Stuff you Gryffindor bravery. Harry just stared at Draco, he ran a finger up Draco's soft cheeks, admiring the beauty and softness. He then dragged his thumb over Draco's lips, also admiring them, and wanting to kiss them again. He missed seeing Draco's silver eyes, and even if he couldn't do anything about it, he placed his arms around the Slytherin and placed his forehead back to Draco's and just stayed there until he felt a tap on the shoulder only minutes later._ _

__He looked beside him, his arms still around the unconscious Draco, and he sees Cedric with a smile on his face and an air bubble over his head. He blushed from being caught by the Hufflepuff although he didn't think he could blush underwater._ _

__Cedric tapped a finger on his wrist, telling Harry there's not much time left. He looked at Harry, then to Draco, and back at Harry and gives him a wink. It's cute seeing Harry hugging Draco underwater and Harry looking like some underwater creature just makes it even more magical as it's like forbidden love from a wizard and an underwater merman. It's beautiful._ _

__Harry blushed a little redder in the cheeks and he gave the Hufflepuff a nod. He looked back at Draco, smiling, and biting his lip when admiring the Slytherin once again. He watched as Cedric swam over to Cho, unlatched her from the rope she had been tied to with a spell and swam her up to the surface._ _

__Harry then saw a shark-like figure swimming fast towards him to his right. Viktor was the one to get Hermione which he bit off her rope with his shark teeth and took her to the surface. Harry instinctively moved out of the way and unhooked Draco from his rope as well as Gabrielle since the time would probably have been nearly up and he hasn't seen Fleur at all._ _

__Harry grabbed hold of Draco by the waist with his right arm, as well as Gabrielle by her waist with his left arm and pulled them to surface. He could feel the Gillyweed starting to wear off so he quickly let go of Gabrielle and cast a quick "Ascendio" on her so she would resurface. He then cast an "Ascendre" on himself so he could resurface himself as well as Draco._ _

__When they both resurfaced, Harry saw that Gabrielle had gotten out of the water and was being held by Fleur with a fluffy blue towel around her. He looked beside him at Draco who returned the stare and gave Harry a half-smile. They both didn't know that they were being stared at by the whole school._ _

__"Took you long enough, Potter," Draco said and used Harry's last name to make a scene. "Couldn't you just untie me, get to the surface to get it over and done with so you would have won?" Deep down in his heart, he knew that the second task would take each of the contestants most missed possessions. And then he smiles sweetly and whispers, "My hero."_ _

__Harry sighed at Draco's fake little attitude. If his boyfriend wanted a scene then he'll get one. "I had to wait for the others because I didn't want to just let them stay down there," he said and reached for Draco's hands under the water to hold them in his. "I mean, what if something happened to Cedric, Fleur and Victor? Who would save the other three?"_ _

__Draco rolled his eyes and sighed at his boyfriend. Harry and his darn Gryffindor Bravery. He swam towards Harry and leapt into his arms for a bear hug. "Thank you for not taking so long in saving me, Harry," he whispered with a smirk and leaned forward to give Harry a small kiss on the cheek. "I love you so much. Please remember that."_ _

__Everyone on the platform either gasped or giggled with awe when they saw Draco launch himself on Harry for a hug, but nobody saw him give Harry the cheek kiss. Except, that's what he thought. Ivy, Hermione, Pansy, Blaise, Seamus, and Dean saw the cheek kiss but nobody else did._ _

__Harry hugged Draco back and felt a blush run up his neck to his face, even though he was freezing cold from the lake. "You're welcome, Draco. I love you too and make sure you remember that." They both continued to hug for a couple of minutes, still being watched by the crowd. He looked up at the shocked gathering of students and Professors on the platforms, then looks back at his boyfriend. "Draco, can I kiss you?"_ _

__Draco leaned back to look into Harry's green eyes, and he smiled lovingly at him. He has not gotten a kiss from his boyfriend since earlier today and would absolutely love one. "I'd love that Harry, but I don't think it's a good idea in front of everyone here. I know some people know of our relationship which I don't mind at all, but I don't really want to go full on public yet. Like the whole world knowing about us."_ _

__Harry sighed a little. Did he want to go public or not? He understands why Draco doesn't want the communal knowing of their relationship. "I really want to though. I love your kisses from any part of the day."_ _

__Draco chuckled at his kiss-wanting boyfriend, wanting that kiss so bad too. He leaned closer to Harry's ear, so his lips were brushing his earlobe, "Do it." Harry smiled as he leaned away and closed the gap between him and Draco, not caring if they were being stared at. They heard gasps all around them but didn't dare to stop kissing each other as the opinions of other students about their relationship didn't matter._ _

__They kissed each other hard, the salt on each other's lips made the kiss more intense and Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck to be closer and Harry wrapped his own arms around Draco's waist. Tilting his head to the side, Draco ran his hand through Harry's soaked hair and knew he was messing it up even more._ _

__"Let's go, Draco," Harry whispered with a smile as he leans away from the kiss, reaches his hands up and grabs Draco's arms from around his neck. When the Slytherin nods at him, they began swimming him to the platforms. When on the middle platform, they got bombarded with towels from students and couldn't help but stare at each other, smiling._ _

__Pansy and Blaise came down from where they were and comforted Draco, giving him extra towels and a blanket. "Nice snogging session, Draco," Blaise said with a smirk to his lips as he watched Draco and Harry just stared at each other like they were talking to each other in their minds._ _

__Pansy giggled beside Blaise, getting Draco's attention. She enjoyed watching it, especially when she found out that Draco was Harry's missed possession out of anyone else. "Even in front of the entire school. Everyone knows of your relationship now unless they think it's a prank." Draco smiled at his two best friends and turned around to look back at Harry._ _

__Hermione thanked Viktor but also smiled at Pansy, who smiled back at her. This morning was just filled with confusing thoughts about this task and if the potions and spells would last the exact time the contestants need to find her and the other missed students._ _

__Harry remembered he needed to talk with Hermione about her and Pansy's relationship. That is if they have started a relationship yet. When will he do that though? Hopefully later on in the day unless when he gets back to the dormitory, he falls asleep for the rest of the day._ _

__"Arry!" Harry looked over towards Fleur who called his name and was approaching him. "Thank you for saving my sizter!" She said softly and kissed Harry on both of his cheeks as a thank you. It made Draco a little pissed that she kissed his boyfriend as only he can kiss Harry's cheeks and nobody else can._ _

__"No Problem, Fleur," Harry said and smiled at her and Gabrielle but looked over towards where Draco was. He caught the Slytherin staring at him, gave Draco a small smile and a wink. He loves it when he catches Draco staring at him as it lets him know he's good enough looking for Draco to like him._ _

__Draco blushed and smiled back at Harry. Little did Harry know, the charm Draco was under when in the Black lake made him go unconscious, but it was like he was in an out-of-body experience, so he watched Harry lovingly stare at himself, hug him, and touch his face when underwater. That was something Draco will never forget, and he loves Harry for it._ _

__Pansy caught Draco in the act of blushing and smiling at Harry. She smiled knowingly at her best friend. "We'll talk later, Dray," she said as they walked off a platform and onto a boat to go back to the castle. Harry watched them leave, with a faint smile plastered on his face._ _

__A couple of minutes later, after the judges had summed up the total amount of points each contestant got, Dumbledore then told everyone about who's in first and last place. Of course, Harry was tied in first place with Cedric for taking risks and helping Fleur rescue her sister. Viktor was in second place and Fleur in third. When Dumbledore finished speaking, everyone started getting on boats to leave the platforms to get back to the castle._ _

__Harry couldn't wait to get back to the castle and get nice, snuggly and warmed up with a nice cup of tea in front of the Gryffindor Common Room's fireplace. He quickly got into a boat with some student's he didn't know and just sat there, too overwhelmed to think about anything except being warm._ _

__When everyone got back up to the castle and to their house common rooms it was nearly lunchtime. Harry was back up in the Gryffindor Common Room after people congratulating him. He was sitting in front of the fireplace, wearing a black button-down shirt and some blue jeans and he had a red blanket wrapped around himself. He couldn't keep his mind off Draco and how he was unconscious under the water._ _

__He could have just kissed him then but didn't know if the 'True Loves Kiss' would have interfered and snapped Draco out of the charm and make him... Harry didn't want to think about what could have happened if he did, but he smiled to himself as he remembered Draco hugging and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. Harry cupped his hand over the place on his cheek where Draco kissed him and smiled. It was a little lower than where Fleur kissed his cheek, but that didn't matter._ _

__He decided to go find Draco as it wasn't exactly lunchtime yet. He did check the Great Hall first if Draco was there getting early lunch, but nobody was there. Then he went down to the dungeons and to the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Still not knowing the password to get into the common room, he just waited outside while watching the entrance and around the Dungeons for Slytherin's walking about. Finally, three girls in Slytherin uniform, two of them blonde and the other a brunette, came out of the entrance._ _

__"Hello," he said to make his presence known, and the three girls stopped and looked at him. He hoped they weren't fans of his ungrateful life as The Chosen One. "Can I enter through to see my...err... boyfriend, please? It's all I want right now." The three girls suddenly began to whisper to each other, and Harry heard his name being said by one of the blonde-haired girls._ _

__The brunette-haired girl stepped forward and extended her hand, wanting a handshake. "Hello, I'm Astoria Greengrass," she said and once Harry shakes her hand, she smiled at him. "Of course, you can, Harry. Right this way, please. But I won't be able to take you through to the boys' dorms. I don't want to lose my hair or break my back and I trust you not to do or try anything when we get inside."_ _

__Harry nods a little firmly and listens closely for the password Astoria says. The password is Serpens oculus. He hopes he'll remember it. Serpens oculus. Serpens oculus. "Thank you," he says once he's inside the common room and he looks around for his boyfriend. Draco wasn't there so he must be up in the dorm room._ _

__With a smile at the three girls, he began his short journey to the 4th year boy's dormitory. He went through the hallway, to the left following another hallway until he's at the two tunnels with serpents curling around the top. He walked down the tunnel with the serpent which had blue eyes and continued down past the first, second-, and third-years dormitory until he reached the fourth. Not wanting to waste any more time, he opened the door but was instantly grabbed and shoved into the post of someone's 4-poster bed. All he knows was that it was Draco's bed he was shoved in, but it wasn't Draco who pushed him. It was Blaise._ _

__"Are you crazy?!" Blaise asked him in a snappish tone and was a little too close Harry in his comfort zone. "Theodore, Vincent, and Crabbe could be here at any moment. Do you want to be hexed?!" Just as Harry shook his head, Blaise sighed and pointed to the drapes of Draco's bed and takes a step back. "I'm sorry for the shoving you. Just get in Draco's bed and close yourself in."_ _

__"Where's Draco?" Harry asks as he moves towards one of the Slytherin green drapes on Draco's bed, moves it aside and sits down on the green silk blanket. He takes off his shoes, kicks them under Draco's bed with his heels and reaches for Draco's white pillow. He hugs the pillow to his chest and smells it with a slight smile._ _

__"He's in the shower right now," Blaise says and gives him a sheepish smile, watching the Gryffindor smell his best friend's pillow. What a weirdo. "He got a little cold from being underwater for an hour and needed to warm himself up. Just stay here. If Theodore, Vincent, and Gregory come in here I'll just tell them I want to speak with Draco alone."_ _

__Harry nods and closes the drapes around him. He then hears movement coming into the dormitory, peeks through a gap in the drapes which only lets him see Blaise and listens closely. He heard a voice, but it wasn't Draco's. He wants to know who it is and what they're going to talk about._ _

__"Hello, Blaise," said a low voice which Harry distantly knows is the voice of Theodore Nott. "How are you this fine evening and could you believe what Draco did to Potter? He literally jumped into his arms like some girl-"_ _

__"Perhaps Draco just wanted to thank him for bringing him up to the surface," Blaise suggested with a shrug and walks to his bed, sitting down on the bedsheets. "Now whatever reason you are here for, can you please hurry it up, grab whatever you came here for as I want to speak privately with Draco about a few minor things."_ _

__Gregory raised an eyebrow, showing his curiosity about what his dormmate wanted to talk to Draco about. "What about, Blaise?" he asks his fellow Slytherin, but Blaise just smirks and checks out his nails._ _

__"That's privileged information only Draco and I can talk about," said Blaise brazenly while dropping his hand to his side. "So, if you want to just waste time and stay here until I say something then you'll be here for hours. You all should go now before Draco comes out."_ _

__Theodore crosses his arms over his chest, wanting to know more but knew Blaise wouldn't tell him. "Let's go, guys," he said while giving Blaise a little glare and he turned around, stalking out of the dormitory with Gregory and Vincent behind him._ _

__Blaise sighed with relief, got up, and closed the door. "You can come out now, Harry," he tells the Gryffindor but keeps an eye out for the door. Harry moves the drapes beside a little and shows himself. But then the door opens, and Harry freezes on Draco's bed, knowing it is too late to hide, and his eyes are glued to the door._ _

__He watches as a boy with wet tangled white-blonde hair enters with a silver silk robe on over himself, a green towel around his neck, and green silk pyjama bottoms. It was Draco. Harry couldn't see if his boyfriend was wearing any pyjama top on and he really didn't mind at all. He could see the exposed chest of his boyfriend and he had the urge to run his hands across that chest._ _

__Draco didn't see the two others in the dormitory, and he took off his robe, exposing his bare chest which made Harry's mouth water a little. He tucks his robe in between his legs and dries his hair with his green towel which was around his neck. And then he sees Harry on his bed, and a smile forms on his mouth as he places his towel onto his bedside table._ _

__"Wow," said Harry breathlessly, a little distracted, and really is liking what he is seeing. He walks forward with a smile and his hands go to Draco's chest, feeling the bare chest under his fingers. "How are you, my love?" he asks and moves his hands to Draco's pink nipples, and he flicks his finger over the hard nipples, watching as Draco groans softly and parts his lips. He's clearly liking the feeling._ _

__"I'm doing great," Draco says and closes his eyes from the pleasure building up. "Just please keep doing that. It feels incredible." He leans his head to the side and gives Harry's neck kisses while Harry continues flicking his nipples. Merlin, he just wants to..._ _

__Blaise coughed from the other side of the room, trying to let the two lovebirds know they're not the only ones in the room. He could tell Harry seemed to not mind while Draco only looked at him for a second, then got back to kissing Harry's neck. He sighed and closed the drapes around his bed so he wouldn't see anything._ _

__Harry leaned away a little but pressed his forehead to Draco's so he could see and watch his hands slide down Draco's chest and to his stomach. His Slytherin was so mesmerizing to touch, smell, look, and feel. His skin was smooth, pretty, and kissable. Even if Draco was thin, he still was toned and had muscles in the right places._ _

__He leaned down and pressed kisses along Draco's chest, and while he was doing so, Draco was giving little sighs and his hands were around Harry and sliding down Harry's back. Harry moved his mouth to Draco's left nipple, giving it a little suck and flicked his tongue over it multiple times. Draco moaned and couldn't help himself. He crouched down a little, lifted Harry up from the bottom and carried a chuckling Harry Potter over to his bed._ _

__Draco ducked a little and let go of his boyfriend when they were on the bed and Harry's head hit the pillows. He leaned over Harry, his legs on either side of Harry's waist, his arms beside Harry's neck, and Harry's legs were bent with his knee touching Draco's crotch. Right now, Draco has never wanted Harry more in his life and what he means is full on sex. He wants to be in Harry, to experience sex with his boyfriend and to lose his virginity with him._ _

__This is his first time thinking of full sex with Harry and it most definitely won't be his last. It's not just him that wants it. His body wants it and probably more than his mind. And yes, he loves the occasional blowjobs with Harry, but he wants more. He wants to be able to go home to his mother and say he has lost his virginity to his boyfriend. He doesn't think he is comfortable sharing such things with his father though._ _

__Draco blinks as he realizes he's just staring at Harry. He just smiles at him, which earns him a smile from Harry, and he leans down until their lips are connected in a slow kiss. His hands become busy with unbuttoning Harry's shirt so he can feel Harry's chest and stomach and be able to kiss him everywhere. Harry was going to slap Draco's hand away as he knew his arms weren't clean but then remembered he did cast the Vulnus Expleret on his cuts before the second task._ _

__Harry leans up a little just so he can take his shirt off and throw it over Draco's shoulder and then lay back down on Draco's pillow. Draco glances at Harry's arms for a second, not seeing anything worrying on them. Maybe Harry hasn't cut in a while? That's a possibility. He leans back down for another slow kiss but uses his elbows to support him. Harry runs his fingers up and down Draco's back, not realizing he's tickling the Slytherin as he's too busy kissing his boyfriend. His legs find their way around Draco's waist where he presses Draco's body down towards him._ _

__The sudden new position makes Draco begin to rut against Harry and he deepened the kiss with a single tilt of his head. He groans since Harry's jeans are one of the reasons the pleasure is building up in his gut. Harry's hands subconsciously moved down Draco's back and slipped under the waistband of his boyfriend's silk pyjama bottoms. Realizing Draco wasn't wearing boxers, he became excited by that fact and smiled in the kiss. His hands kept moving down until he had Draco's cheeks under his fingertips, and he gave them a light squeeze._ _

__Draco lets out another groan and he sits up; Harry's legs fall to his side and Draco pulls his pyjama bottoms down which he has a little help from Harry's feet. Harry watched, mesmerized, at Draco's cock that jumps out of the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, and his nakedness and pure beauty. He hasn't seen Draco fully naked like this. Only half-naked either from the waist and up, or butt naked but with a shirt on._ _

__Draco licked his bottom lip, excited to see Harry fully naked and so he reaches down to Harry's fly. But he had to look up at Harry to make sure the Gryffindor will let him. "Can I?" he asked silently, and when Harry nods his finger immediately pulls the fly down and unbuttons the top button of Harry's jeans. He pulls Harry's jeans down and moves to the side so he can slide Harry's jeans off all the way past his feet. And then he does the same for Harry's boxers and places them neatly on the end of his bed. He has a good look at his boyfriend as this is his first-time seeing Harry fully naked and he admired all of Harry's curves and edges._ _

__"You're so damn gorgeous, Harry," Draco says as he runs his hand down the side of Harry's ribs, waist, and thighs. He looks at Harry's face and smiles when seeing how red it was with an obvious blush on that handsome face of his. "I love you." He crawls forward and lowers his body onto Harry's until only skin is touching skin and hands are intertwined. He could feel Harry's heart beating against his own chest. It was beating for him._ _

__"I love you too, Draco," Harry says quietly and distractedly as he can feel Draco's dick beside his own. He was becoming aroused just by the feel of Draco's cock touching his and the way Draco was looking at him. It was a predatory look. He bit his lip and just wanted Draco to get it over with and do whatever he wants to him. He could already feel the sexual vibe coming from Draco. As he blinked, Draco was leaning down for a kiss and that is exactly what he gave his boyfriend._ _

__The kiss lasted long seconds, starting from soft and slow and ending in rough and wild. By the time they pulled out, Draco leaned down to kiss Harry everywhere over his body and lick the slit of Harry's dick to gather the pre-come into his mouth. Then a voice broke them out of the sexual moment they were in and said, "Let's go, Harry and Draco. Lunch is halfway over. You've been at whatever you're doing since I last saw you for nearly ten minutes."_ _

__Draco groaned as he wanted Harry, but he also wanted food. More like needed it. He hasn't eaten since earlier this morning. He leaned down for one last kiss with his naked boyfriend, already missing the sight beneath him. "Let's get dressed, Harry," he says quietly as he leans away from Harry's face but caresses the Gryffindor's cheeks with his hand. "I haven't eaten since five in the morning."_ _

__Harry nods and gets dressed with Draco but they took their time doing so. When fully clothed, and Draco put on some boxers and his school uniform, they got out from Draco's bed together and saw Blaise smirking at them. Draco rolls his eyes at his friend, links hands with Harry and exits the dormitory with his boyfriend._ _

__Blaise shakes his head at them and smiles at the door where his best friend and Harry had walked out of. He could tell Pansy and Ivy about what he's seen and heard but he won't as he'll leave Draco to tell them._ _

__Harry clung to Draco when they headed into the common room of Slytherin house, showing all the snakes that Draco was his and his only. When they were out of the common room and out in the open of the dungeons, they headed up to the Great Hall for lunch. They decided to sit together at the Slytherin table with Ivy and Pansy and ignored the stares from the Slytherin and some Gryffindor students._ _

__"This is certainly a surprise to see," said Pansy who already was eating her lunch of cheese toasties. "Harry Potter has joined the Slytherin's. What's next? Hermione and Ron will join us too and then every other Gryffindor?"_ _

__"Hello girls," Harry greets them both with a smile and keeps his hand intertwined with Draco's. He uses his free hand to grab himself a cheese toasty. "I'll hopefully be here more often with Draco then you think. And if you're lucky Hermione will join us. I don't know about Ron though."_ _

__"What do you mean if I'm lucky?" Pansy asks him curiously and completely ignores Ivy's giggles and Draco's snort. They obviously knew something she didn't. well, she told them ages ago. "What do you mean, Harry?"_ _

__"Oh nothing," Harry says innocently, turns his head around and looks at Draco. He places his chin on the blonde Slytherin's shoulder, looking up into silver eyes which sparkled from the sunlight that shone down on him. He loved how light can make him fall deeper in love with Draco just by reflecting the light off his eyes, body, or hair._ _

__"Harry, you still haven't answered my question," Pansy said boldly with narrowed eyes at him, but Harry just shrugged at her and began eating his toasty while making sure Draco had at least two helpings to make up from the long wait for food. And after lunch, they just spent time together in the Library's secret room, talking while listening to music from the song player and cuddling on the couch._ _

__"Draco, can you give me the password to the Slytherin common room when it changes so I don't have to wait for your Slytherin's to either come out of the common room or go into it from the outside?" Harry asks him as he lays in Draco's arms while listening to the song Imagine by John Lennon. He sat up and twisted his body around so he can look at the Slytherin. "And I'll do the same with you. The password is Nutmeg."_ _

__"I can do that, yes," said Draco with a nod and cups Harry's cheeks, smiling as he caresses them. "I'll remind you every fortnight when it gets changed. Just... don't tell any of your Gryffindor friends about the passwords or even how you managed to acquire them." Harry gives him a nod and snuggles back into Draco's arms._ _

__*****_ _

__Harry woke up feeling pretty shitty and it wasn't because of a nightmare or anything like that. He just woke up this way. It's quite normal for him. Sleep for him if he has enough of it is like an escape from reality. The bad reality he has to live through. The good reality is Draco and having a few friends, but it is mainly Draco._ _

__Just thinking of the Slytherin made him feel a little better and he wished Draco were with him right now. Sadly, life isn't fair. Looking out the window closest to him, he sees it is still dark outside, but he does see the slightest hint of sunlight behind a mountain in the distance. He just wanted to go back to sleep but knew how hard it would be to try to. He decides to just lay back down and just stare at one spot in the room until it was light enough for him to see around the dormitory a little more clearly._ _

__He wanted to stay in bed but what good would that do if he's just lying awake with nothing to do and nobody to talk to. He sluggishly gets out of bed, gets dressed, grabs his invisibility cloak, and chooses to go for a walk around the castle. Suddenly, as he's walking up towards the DADA tower, he hears loud giggling. And that'd when he sees a small bunch of girls and a few guys in different houses walk in one direction. Why are there students up this damn early? He decides to follow them and was glad he brought his invisibility cloak._ _

__He should have known they were going towards the DADA classroom. He watched them unlock the door with a simple "Alohomora" and enter the classroom. He quickly managed to slip past one of the boys so he was in the room with them and he walks silently to the corner of the room so he can watch them. At least he has something to watch while he waits for his dormmates to wake which won't be for another three hours or so._ _

__One of the girls who had hazelnut brown hair who Harry recognized as Rosemary, had opened the wardrobe with a boggart in it and Harry immediately became a little afraid. What were these teenagers doing casting magic without a teacher present with them? They were breaking the school rules. At least they had him, who was invisible to their eyes._ _

__A large green monster-looking thing that was about 193 cm tall, had a round face with no eyes but blood dripping down from the black eye sockets, sharp pointy teeth, a large nose, two ears that looked like antennae, and wore a dirty white shirt with crocodile skin vest, had cloth shoes and a brown belt had walked out of the Boggart cupboard and stood facing Rosemary. Harry knew exactly what this creature was. It was Shrek but looked like he had come from a horror movie and he knew these teenagers were either Muggle-born of half-blood who were raised into the muggle culture._ _

__Rosemary was petrified and same were her friends. She shakily raised her wand up at the creature and said, "Ridikulus!" The scary-looking Shrek morphed into something else. A someone else actually but still had green skin. Harry's eyes widened a little as he recognized the Marvel superhero. It was the Hulk._ _

__The teenagers started laughing, but the Mulk balled his fists and shouted, "Hulk Smash!" Right as he was about to smash his large fists into the professor's table, one of the boys with curly brown hair had stepped in front of Rosemary. It was Elton._ _

__Elton knew what his greatest fear was, and the Hulk had morphed into it. It was Slenderman. His older brother was really into creepypasta and would buy anything related to it. The git even brought a Slenderman costume. He believes the Slenderman is real, and this just made everything worse. He raised his wand up to the slender figure and shouted, "RIDIKULUS!"_ _

__Harry has heard of the infamous Slenderman from Dudley. It was used to scare him as a kid as Dudley told him these creepypasta stories. They never really scared him at all. He then watches as the Slenderman shrunk a lot and turned into... is that Pikachu?_ _

__Corbyn, a boy with a blonde undercut, snorts at the Pokémon. "Pika-Pika-chu," he says at his best friend with a smirk and acts as Pikachu just to tease him. Rosemary and the rest of the teens began to tease Elton by acting as Pikachu. Harry even snorted a little too loudly and cupped his mouth with his hand to shut himself up. He became a little anxious as the teenagers looked his way._ _

__Harry slowly moved towards the door, making sure his body was fully covered with the invisibility cloak and hoped they wouldn't hear his footsteps or see movement. He continued his quiet and slow walk towards the door, passing a bookshelf but he didn't see the stool which was beside the cabinet. He managed to kick the stool, making it fall to the ground with a nice loud 'clank'. "Shit," he whispered quickly while stepping over the falling stool._ _

__"Who's there?!" Elton spat and raised his wand up towards the door and around the back of the classroom, looking for somebody to accuse of spying on him and his friends. "Show yourself or I will put up a fight!"_ _

__"Elton, stop," Nikola said as she pushed one of her curly brown bangs out of her eyes. "It could just be a house-elf cleaning up the room. They do this a lot during the night and the early mornings before classes start back up for the day."_ _

__Elton lowered his wand a little, and that gave Harry the time to quickly rush out of the classroom and let his body decide for him where to go. He realizes he's heading for the dungeons and the Slytherin common room entrance. "Serpens Oculus," he says once outside the common room of the serpents, and he watches as the secret entrance is revealed to him. He takes no hesitation when entering even if he doesn't know why he's here._ _

__He decides to pay Draco a visit even if the Slytherins all should still be sleeping. When he's in the tunnel to the Slytherin boys' dorms, he walks his way to the 4th year's dormitory door and opens it quietly, hoping it won't creak. Lucky for him, it didn't, and so he closed the door behind him and crept over to Draco's bed after making sure every other bed in the room had the drapes shut closed._ _

__Harry takes off his shoes and shoves them underneath Draco's bed, and then he slowly pushes the curtains to the side a little and crawls into his boyfriend's bed. He smiles a little as he sees his Draco sleeping peacefully on his side, head on the pillow, tousled hair, and sheets past his chest. The mattress dips as his knee sinks into it and in an instant, the blonde Slytherin wakes up and is staring, horrified, at him._ _

__He realizes he still has the invisibility cloak on over himself, and he chuckles a little. "It's okay, it's just me, Harry," he says quietly and pulls the hood off his head, showing the Slytherin a floating head but not his body. Draco sighs a little deeper and Harry shuts the drapes back shut around them and takes off his invisibility cloak as well as his school robe and places them on the end of Draco's bed._ _

__"Harry, as much as I love having you here, I want to know why you're actually here and not in your own bed," Draco says in a quiet voice and scootches over in his bed a little to give Harry some room._ _

__"I couldn't sleep," Harry admits to him, and when Draco frowns at him worriedly and pats the empty space beside him, Harry crawls over and gets under the blankets next to his boyfriend. He lies down on his side, facing Draco, and his arm slides around Draco's waist just so he's a little closer to his Slytherin._ _

__"Want to talk about why you couldn't sleep?" Draco asks him softly while he pulls Harry closer and enjoys the warmth and comfort radiating from the Gryffindor's body. "You don't have to give me all the details unless you're ready to."_ _

__"I just woke up feeling really... terrible," Harry says as he doesn't know how he can explain what 'shit' means besides the obvious definition. "I was tired, and I woke up more than twice last night. It just sucked. I hate being unable to get enough sleep."_ _

__Draco just nodded through that whole explanation Harry gave him though he didn't understand what it must be like. "I'm sorry you never got enough sleep, my darling," he said and smiled as he sees a red tinge appear on his boyfriend's beautiful cheeks. "I'm glad you're here though. I've missed sleeping with you, and I know how well you sleep when with me."_ _

__"I love you," Harry whispers and suddenly closes his eyes as he snuggles into Draco as close as possible. He lets out a little yawn, not noticing how tired he was as he just felt so comfortable in Draco's arms. It's almost like he's at peace. "It's okay Draco." He begins to mumble the rest as he's too tired to speak out loud. "I miss sleeping with you. You're like a teddy bear. So comfy. So warm. So snuggly. You're my teddy bear. My cute, sexy, handsome teddy bear."_ _

__Draco chuckles a little, leans over and gives Harry's cheek an enduring kiss. He finds it adorable how Harry associates him with a teddy bear, and he loves the little yawns Harry is giving him from that perfect mouth of his. And those words Harry used to describe him... Merlin, they do absolute wonders to his heart. "I love you too, Harry Potter. More than you could ever know. I'll help you and be there for you through all your ups and downs. In your darkest of moments, I will be the light that would flood you with happiness."_ _

__"Why does that sound like a damn marriage proposal?" Harry asks him quietly and endures the feel of Draco's lips on his cheeks and the kiss he left. He remembers some of the movies he's watched in his past while the Dursley's had all gone out for the day, leaving him alone in the house. It was a really romantic one too. He forgot the name though._ _

__Draco smiles at that image and gives the Malfoy ring on his finger a little turn. "Go to sleep, Harry," he orders him silently. "You'll need it for tomorrow in classes. I can't have you falling asleep and getting a detention even though I adore watching you sleep. You look so peaceful, so beautiful. Now sleep." Harry couldn't have been asked twice as he was nodding off into sleep with the sound of Draco's soothing voice echoing through his head and the feel of the Slytherin's breath on his forehead._ _

__*****_ _

__Waking up by Draco's side always put a smile on Harry's face. He could smell the citrus from Draco's hair on the pillow, he could feel Draco next to him which he either had an arm around Draco or the Slytherin had an arm around him, he could feel Draco's breath on his forehead, and most of all he would get a blind kiss good morning._ _

__Harry opened his eyes slowly and the first thing he saw was silver. It was Draco's eyes. From what he can see with his tired eyes is his boyfriend who was sitting up and looking down at him. "How long have you been up for?" he asked his Slytherin and reached his hands up to Draco's outer thighs and waist and he just held his boyfriend there._ _

__"A minute or two before you opened your pretty green eyes back up to the world from sleep," Draco said impishly and brushed his fingers through Harry's messy hair which seemed to get messier every minute and he loved it. He loved Harry's messy hair with all his heart and soul. He also loved watching Harry blush because of his words he compliments Harry with. He brushed Harry's hair out of those green eyes, not wanting the Gryffindor's gorgeous hair to shield him away from looking deeply into emerald orbs of beauty._ _

__He leaned down, bit his lip as he tilted his head to the side, and gave Harry a slow and loving morning kiss. He leans away from a little but gives Harry's face kisses almost everywhere, and it makes Harry laugh softly and move his hands up Draco's waist. The Slytherin placed kiss after kiss after kiss all over Harry's face until Harry's face was covered in Draco's kisses and Harry just continued laughing at the loving gestures his boyfriend was giving him. But then he hesitated at how loud he was and knew the other Slytherin's must have heard him._ _

__Draco could see a slightly panicked look on Harry's face and smiled. "Be as loud as you want Harry, I cast a privacy and anti-sound charm around us," he told him and got back to giving his Harry kisses everywhere he could reach. Including his neck and Adam's apple. He leaned forward so his face was directly over Harry's and leaned down. He brushed his lower lip over Harry's bottom and top lip, teasing the Gryffindor a bit for a kiss and Harry just plays along until Draco least expects it and smashes his lips to the Slytherin's. It surprised Draco a little, and Harry takes this moment to part Draco's lips and push his tongue inside his mouth._ _

__Draco moaned as he felt Harry enter his mouth with that beautiful warm and wet tongue. The way Harry's tongue explored his mouth, it was heavenly! The Gryffindor was licking up his mouth, down and around, at his tonsil which made him shiver a little, and around his gums. Merlin... He wouldn't even care if this beautiful Gryffindor drooled all inside his mouth. In fact, he would love it if Harry did such a thing._ _

__Harry smiles as Draco lets him do this, and in a split-second he leans away, grabs onto Draco's waist, and turns him over so he's above Draco, sitting on his lap, and Draco's below him. God, Draco looked as if he was drooling on the right corner of his mouth. Oh, but he was drooling! Not wanting the Slytherin's saliva to go anywhere but in his mouth, he leaned down, his arms supporting his weight on either side of Draco's shoulders, and licked but also sucked on the corner of Draco's mouth to lap up the Slytherin's tasty spittle._ _

__Draco doesn't mind this lovely moment he's in with Harry, and his hands come up to Harry's hair where his fingers lightly run through his messy hair. He has been vulnerable to Harry a few times and let him do his thing, but he loves being in charge and powerful against Harry. But he also loves being powerless and vulnerable against Harry like this. And Harry's tongue. Merlin... it was beautiful the way it had slipped through his lips previously._ _

__Harry kisses his way to Draco's mouth, and he parts the Slytherin's lips easily and slides his tongue in. This was a little new to him. This mouth down throat thing with Draco. Usually, Draco's the one who explores his mouth, not the other way around. He loves the feel of Draco's warm tongue exploring every part of his mouth that he could. It was magical._ _

__"Draco get your lazy arse out of bed and get ready!" came the voice of Blaise Zabini who sounded just a little irritated. He did like getting to breakfast early and it wasn't just so he can watch Ron. No, that's not his reason for eating breakfast early. He walks over to his best friends' bed, feeling a little impatient, and pulls open the side drapes. He freezes, hands still holding the drapes open. Harry Potter was in Draco's bed, sitting on top of him, and that wasn't all. The Gryffindor's tongue was down his best friend's throat. "Merlin's Beard..." When did Harry get here?_ _

__Harry pulled his saliva-coated tongue out of Draco's mouth, and with Draco, they both turned their heads to the side and looked at the surprised Blaise Zabini. At least it was Blaise that found him and Draco like this and nobody else like Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle. God, that would be bad and would mean there's a lot of explaining to do._ _

__Blaise then smirks at the two, seeing as their lips were a deep shade of pink and glistened with Saliva. He didn't know whose saliva it was but guessed it was each other. Their cheeks had the same pink colour to them but a little darker. "Let's hurry up, get dressed, and go, guys," he said and moved away from Draco's bed. "Harry you better get going now as Vincent, Theodore, and Gregory are in the showers and should be back here in minutes."_ _

__Harry nods at the fallen bed curtain and reaches behind him for his robe, which he put on, and he grabbed his invisibility cloak. He reached under the bed to grab his shoes and he quickly put them on. He looks back at Draco, smiles at him, and leans forward for a slow departing kiss. When he finally leans away and they press their forehead to each other, Harry says, "I'll see you in the Great Hall for breakfast, my love. I'm hoping to spend the rest of the day with you too during breaks."_ _

__"I'll see you then, my darling," Draco says and reaches down to Harry's hand to hold it in his. "I'll make sure to spend the day with you as much as possible. I love you, Harry. I'll see you very soon. You better go."_ _

__Harry gives a sad nod. "I love you too," he says sweetly as he kisses him one last time and puts on his invisibility cloak when he gets out of Draco's bed and makes his way to the common room. Even if Draco and Blaise told him to go, he didn't. He stayed by the exit to the common room and waited for his blonde Slytherin boyfriend to come through the tunnels and towards him._ _

__When he finally sees Draco with his hair, posture, and uniform perfect as ever, Harry waits until the Slytherin is close enough to him and he intertwines hands with him from under the invisibility cloak. He watched as Draco tensed a little from the touch and looks down at their hands. A smile appears on the Slytherin's face and Harry chuckles. "Yes, I never left."_ _

__Harry removes the hood only a little and gives Draco a kiss on the cheek. He winks, pulls the hood back over his head and watches as Draco's cheeks turn a little pink. He smiles and leads the dumbfounded Draco Malfoy out of the common room and into the open castle. When safely away from the Slytherin common room entrance, Harry takes off the cloak with a sigh and moves closer to Draco. "Want to come with me up to Gryffindor Tower? I need to put my cloak away."_ _

__"As long as none of your Gryffindor's kicks me out of the common room then sure, I'd like to come with you," Draco says and smiles at him, too lost in Harry's eyes to even know where he was going. It was Harry who was taking him to Gryffindor Tower. He was a little distracted by Harry and his messy black hair, those sparkling emerald green eyes, that perfect mouth and lips he loves kissing, that round ass and that beautiful smile, that the journey to the house of Lions felt like seconds to him._ _

__Before he knew it, he was inside Gryffindor Tower and was being pulled up to the 4th year's boy's dorms by Harry. He hasn't actually properly seen the dormitory as the last time he was here was the day he first told Harry how much he loves him. What a memory. And that wasn't all, of course. He does remember having Finnegan, Thomas, and Longbottom's wands at his throat. What a "nice" memory._ _

__There were five 4-poster beds around the dormitory facing the fireplace in the middle of the dorm. And in each bed was Harry's dormmates who were half asleep. Instead of the normal Slytherin green drapes, Draco would see every day, he sees maroon-coloured drapes and Duna's on all the beds. The room felt quite cozy and comfortable to him almost like it was home. Harry was his home though, his way of life, the oxygen he breathes, the beautiful flowers of the world and the love in his heart._ _

__Draco watched Harry go over to a bed which was opposite of the door and open the brown trunk up. The invisibility cloak he knows of was placed in the trunk, and then Harry reached for something deep inside the trunk. It was a square bottle which Draco knew it was cologne. Oh, so Harry does wear cologne. He hasn't smelt it unless it's the beautiful pine he loves._ _

__Harry dabbed a little bit of his cologne on his neck and put it back in his trunk, locking his trunk back up. He's glad there are spells out there that let you refill bottles and cups of items like juice, cologne, deodorant, and others so it doesn't run out and you have to pay for another one. He's just lucky that he has cologne and deodorant. It wasn't a gift from anyone as he brought it when he was 12 with a few $10 he found underneath Dudley's bed in his second room while the Dursley's were out for the day._ _

__Thanks to Fred and George teaching him how to pick locks with a hairpin, he was successfully able to do so and that's how he sneaked out. Aldi is always a few minutes' drive, and he had to rush to Aldi to get what he wanted which was the cologne, a shampoo and conditioner that too smells like pine, and deodorant that smells like Cypress and incense. It was hard hiding all these items from the Dursleys, but he managed to hide them under his clothes in the drawer. Hermione had taught him the spell after he watched her fill up a cup of juice._ _

__Draco walked over to him and the first thing he did was wrap his arms around Harry's waist and pull him closer so he could sniff Harry's neck. He sighed with satisfaction as he could smell Pine from his boyfriend, and he pressed a kiss to his neck. "Merlin, you smell so good. You always smell fantastic."_ _

__"If you keep sniffing me like that, you're going to get intoxicated," Harry says as he buries his nose in Draco's neck, smelling the citrus he knows so well and the vanilla. He understands what Draco wants and what he feels. To just continuously sniff his cologne. "And that's a bad thing if you didn't know."_ _

__"I know Harry," Draco says and after one more kiss to Harry's neck, he leans away with a smile. He just loves smelling his boyfriend. Harry is his oxygen to breathe in this world. "You just smell so lovely like a sweet from Honeydukes. Delicious smelling but also quite delicious to the taste."_ _

__Harry smiled a little sheepishly at the Slytherin and from the corner of his eye he could see Seamus' head appear from out of the drapes of his bed. He doesn't want to explain anything right now to Seamus or Dean if he's still awake. He and Draco could have been heard all along. All the more reason to head down to breakfast at once. "Let's go to breakfast as I'm starving, and I know Blaise wouldn't be too happy to see that you're not there already."_ _

__"I'm glad to see that you and my friends are getting along together, Harry," Draco said as he grabbed Harry's hand and twined them together with his own. "It really warms my heart. Now let's go to breakfast as I need food and I need it now." Harry chuckles at his hungry boyfriend and walks him down, hand in hand, to the Great Hall for breakfast._ _


	18. A disturbing Letter from a mother

⚠((Warning))⚠

This chapter contains very triggering things in it that include suicide.

***********************************************************  
Harry rubbed his hands over his swollen puffy red eyelids. He hadn't slept a wink all week and he had been crying himself to sleep more than he often has because of the fear of going to sleep and having to relive a moment in his life which he doesn't want to remember or just any kind of nightmare that appears in his mind.

Harry cast a quick "Tempus" and showed that it was around 6:00 in the morning. Frowning to himself, he got up quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up, and sluggishly got dressed in warm clothes. He searched for one of the potion vials in his trunk as he doesn't want to disappoint Draco and feel even worse, and when he grabbed a vile, he drank the whole tube. He then grabbed his invisibility cloak from under his pillow and walked out of the dormitory.

Luckily, he was the only one awake. So, he quickly made his way to the portrait and easily walked out of the common room's portrait. Looking around the corridor he was in, he decided he wanted to go see the morning sky. What better way to do that was to go to the Astronomy Tower?

Harry walked up the stairs and realized he wasn't alone. A girl whose long black wavy hair blowing in the wind was standing by the rails of the Astronomy Tower which kept her from plummeting to her death. "Ivy?" he said, his voice echoing and bouncing off the walls of the Tower.

Ivy turned around to face the Gryffindor. She was surprised to see Harry up this early. "Hello, Harry," she said with a downturned expression, and she was leaning against the rails. She actually prefered to be alone right now so she doesn't get caught doing harmful things to herself.

"Why are you up so early?" Harry had asked her and was puzzled to why a 16-year-old wouldn't have slept in. But knowing how hard it is to actually get some sleep because of the depression, he understands her struggles a little. Depression sucks and he wishes he never had this life. But then there's Draco who he loves so much and would do anything for.

"I could ask you the same, but, I'm normally up early," Ivy said as she turned around to look back up at the daybreak sky. She enjoyed waking up early to watch the sunrise. It was her favourite thing to do. "I couldn't sleep, so I came up here around 4 in the morning."

Harry walked up beside her to admire the view from the Astronomy Tower. It's also when he felt the sharpness of the chilly air on his face The sun was only just above the horizon in the distance and its yellow gleam covered the mountains and landscape like a heavenly light.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ivy said but had a frown form on her face. It wasn't actually a question. "The sunset. It's such a beautiful thing in our world that doesn't really get admired much. It should be. Same as the nature of the Earth."

"Yeah, it sure is," Harry said as he admired the beautiful view of the sunrise in the chilly morning. _But... not as beautiful as Draco is, _he thought and began to think about his wonderful boyfriend who was still fast asleep in the dorm room. He wanted to be with Draco, snuggled up close to him, Draco's arms around him, while tucked in under the sheets.__

__Harry turned his head to look at her, seeing the frown on her face. But he also saw a red substance on the corner of her mouth. She must have been down in the kitchens earlier. "Is something the matter?" he had to ask, studying her eyes and seeing the same glossiness that Harry had always seen in his own eyes. "Do you need to talk about anything that's happening? And you have red sauce on the left side of your mouth."_ _

__"No, I'm fine," Ivy said with a dismissed shake of her head, licked the red substance off the corner of her mouth and she looked down towards the grounds of Hogwarts. All the snow since Christmas had melted and flowers were starting to bloom as Spring had started weeks ago. "I'm just waiting on my mother's owl. She sends me an owl every month, mostly about when I get back home and when she goes to work. Boring stuff, really."_ _

__"Oh, she doesn't send you any candy's or gifts?" Harry asked her with a sad smile, and as Ivy shakes her head, he felt the same kind of pain Ivy was feeling. "Yeah, it is the same with me. The Dursleys don't care about me, they always give me worthless things. One time, they gave me a box of tissues."_ _

__Ivy looked at Harry sadly. At least she has someone to cry with but she won't be doing such a thing ever. She prefers to cry alone, inside her 4-poster bed, with privacy charms around her so she isn't heard. "I guess we both have guardians who hate us."_ _

__Harry checked the time again. A "Tempus" told him it was nearly breakfast. It was to distract him from tearing up because of that true fact Ivy said. "We should head down to the Grand Hall," he said as he turned away from the sunrise, now looking towards the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. "Breakfast is nearing."_ _

__"I guess so," Ivy said depressingly as she walked away from the railings and Harry. She cursed herself for being so stupid to not being careful when with others. But she didn't know Harry would be there. The Gryffindor caught up with her as she neared the stairs down out of the Astronomy Tower._ _

__Ivy was walking into the Great Hall with Harry by her side. Harry had asked her if she wanted to come to sit with him at the Gryffindor table, she agreed with a nod and they sat next to each other. Harry also wasn't sure how he should be feeling as the Witch Weekly magazine came out a few days later with an article about Hermione and her 'love interests'._ _

__It was painful for Harry to see Hermione so hurt and embarrassed because of him. It made everything worse for him. When Hermione did enter the Great Hall, Harry asked her if it would be better if she wasn't seen with him as much._ _

__"You don't have to, Harry," Hermione said anxiously as she crossed her arms over the table. "This will surely blow over in a few days. It would be easier if I didn't hang out with you at all but..."_ _

__Harry forced a smile, feeling a little guilty that he was happy to have an excuse to spend the rest of the day with Draco. "It's okay, I understand," he told her honestly. "They'll print some new scandal in a couple of days, and we can all go back to normal."_ _

__Hermione nodded and stood up from the table, ready to leave. "I'm going to sit with Pansy today," she said miserably and pushed a long lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Harry."_ _

__"Alright, I'll see you soon," Harry replied and watched her leave to the Slytherin table to sit with Pansy Parkinson who looked very surprised to see Hermione. He looked down at a basket of blueberry muffins and sighed, wondering where Draco was._ _

__As they stared at the food on the table, Harry's wish came true as Draco sat down with them. "Hello, Ivy," he said with a simple smile at his cousin and then turned to face his boyfriend. His smile widened. "Hello, Harry," he said amiably, intertwining his hand around Harry's from under the table._ _

__Harry gave an actual smile and squeezed Draco's hand from under the table. He raised their intertwined hands to his mouth and gave Draco's knuckles a quick kiss. "Hello, Draco," he said and his other hand reached up to Draco's hair, brushing a few strands away from those silver eyes he loves. "What brings you, my love, over here?"_ _

__"I just wanted to sit with my boyfriend, that's all," Draco told him as he closed his eyes while feeling Harry continue what he was doing. Harry even gave him a surprise kiss to the forehead which he adored with all his heart. "I love you, Harry."_ _

__Ivy smiled at the two boys and their little moment which was surrounded by everyone in Hogwarts. She's so proud of them. She feels like a mother to them now. "What about me?" she asked them with a fake pout._ _

__Draco sighed a little silently and looked over at his cousin, giving her a hard smile. "And you too, Ivy," he said earnestly. As much as he wants to be alone with Harry, he knows not to ignore his cousin and to include her in things like conversations and meetups._ _

__Harry grabbed a break stick and held it to Draco's mouth with his free hand, remembering on Christmas morning doing the same but with actual bread. "Open up," he whispered but Draco shook his head and Harry watched the Slytherin's cheeks turn pink. "Please? For me?"_ _

__Draco rolled his eyes at his boyfriend and nodded. He opened his mouth and when Harry stuck the breadstick in his mouth, he asked, "There, happy now?" He didn't get a verbal answer back, only a nod from Harry. "Good because it's my turn." He grabbed a Strawberry from a bowl and held it in front of Harry's mouth._ _

__Harry chuckled; liking this morning already as he's being fed by his boyfriend. He's missed this too. Draco smirked and rubbed the strawberry on Harry's lips like he was applying lip balm. Harry sat there frozen, his cheeks becoming a little pink, and he didn't know what to do but bite into the strawberry._ _

__Draco smiled lovingly at Harry and pulled the half-eaten strawberry away from Harry's mouth. "You're adorable, Harry," he said and ate the rest of the strawberry. Placing the end of the strawberry on his plate, he decided to dish a bowel up of porridge as his breakfast._ _

__"No, you are!" Harry said sweetly and without him seeing, Draco had dished Harry's bowel up with porridge and added a few sultanas to it. It took Harry a few seconds to realize what his blonde Slytherin had done for him. He thanked him by leaning towards him and giving him a peck on the lips._ _

__Draco pressed his lips together after Harry kissed him, he could taste the strawberry on Harry's lips, and he reached back over the table to grab another strawberry." I highly doubt that's possible, Harry," he said and booped Harry on the nose with that strawberry. "Medically speaking, you're adorable and do the most adorable things without realizing."_ _

__Ivy tried not to surpass another giggle; she was finding her favourite couple adorable just playing around with food in front of many people and complimenting each other. Seeing her cousin having so much fun with Harry just warmed up her heart._ _

__Harry grabbed the strawberry Draco was holding and held it to his Slytherin's mouth. "Open up that beautiful mouth of yours again for me," he said silently with a cheeky grin on his face. "Oh, and that's an order."_ _

__Draco ate the strawberry without hesitation; he didn't know that he also nibbled and sucked onto Harry's finger as Harry popped the strawberry in his mouth. His eyes widened in shock and embarrassment and he quickly leaned back and unlatched his lips from Harry's fingers. "Merlin's Beard," he said as a light blush spread across his face. "I'm sorry, Harry."_ _

__Harry smiled, feeling the wetness from Draco's mouth still on his fingers and it suddenly made him a little hard down there. "There isn't a need to apologize," he said with a shake of his head. "It was my fault after all."_ _

__"How is it-?" Draco wanted to ask how it was Harry's fault but then realized what Harry had meant and had done. It was on purpose. "Why, you little snake!" he whispered into Harry's ear with a smirk to his lips. "I bet you liked that. Didn't you?"_ _

__Harry definitely liked when Draco would suck on his finger. He wants it to happen again but when he and Draco are alone and not in the Great Hall filled with students. Then he surprised his boyfriend with his three favourite words. "I love you, Draco Lucius Malfoy."_ _

__Draco's eyes widened; he smiled at his boyfriend and felt that familiar heating sensation rise from his chest up to his face. "I love you too, Harry James Potter," he said back and reached his hand up to grab Harry'chin, and he kissed him on the cheek._ _

__Harry smiled at his boyfriend, wanting to just end the space between him and Draco and kiss him in front of everyone. Maybe some other time. "You're cute when you blush," he admits like there's nobody in the Hall but him and Draco. He couldn't even hear Ivy's giggles in front of them. "Did you know that?"_ _

__Draco also wanted to kiss his Harry, no matter who's watching. He felt his cheeks redden even more at the compliment. "So are you, and yes, I have been told multiple times by my boyfriend about how cute I am."_ _

__Ivy felt hungry and grabbed herself two pieces of toast and put them on her plate, after spreading the strawberry jam that appeared on the table in front of her which is made only for her by the house-elves, she grabbed out her black flask from in her robe pocket and poured a little bit in a goblet then put the flask away._ _

__Harry was watching her. She's seen that flask before at the Yule Ball. His curiosity was eating away at him. "What do you have there, Ivy?" he asked her and moved towards the goblet to take a look at it bu Ivy snatched it away a little too quickly like she was the flash. God..._ _

__"It's um..." Ivy was stumbling to find a word to use instead of the special sauce she must have in her diet. "It is wine," she finally admitted over a second of thinking. She's lucky she has the ability to think faster than anyone else. "Don't tell anyone please."_ _

__Harry nodded but still didn't seem to believe her. But then again he had to. The red liquid smelt so familiar to him. Maybe it was from Aunt Petunia's wine she stores. He wanted to know which one she drinks though. "Could I have a taste?" His hand was moving towards her robe pocket._ _

__Ivy snapped his hand away from her robe pocket, feeling her blood rush through her veins and something pointy touching her lip. "Harry," she said and calmed herself down. "It's not for you or Draco. You're too young."_ _

__Draco swallowed. This was bad. She was showing her... god. Harry doesn't know it. Not yet. But it's better if less people to know the better. He quickly gave Harry a kiss on the cheek, making Harry get distracted by looking at him. He smiled as Harry licked his lips, and so he gave him a quick kiss but leaned away after a few seconds. He then gave Harry a hug, but it was so he can get Ivy's attention by pinching her on the shoulder, making her look at him, and he pointed to his own mouth._ _

__Ivy furrowed her black eyebrows but then understood what he meant. She covered a hand over her mouth and calmed herself down. She started eating her strawberry jam covered toast and drinking from her goblet._ _

__A few minutes had passed, Harry and Draco were still ''play fighting'' over who's cuter or not. The school owls came flying in. A couple of barn owls, a couple of Eostrixs', 3 Eastern Grass Owls, and a very peculiar black owl, who flew right towards Ivy, landing perfectly like it had poise in front of her._ _

__Ivy looked up from her toast and gave a small smile at her owl. "Why hello, Duke Owlington," she said distractedly as she grabbed the letter that was tied onto the Black owl's foot. Her face paled as she noticed it was her mothers letter. It had the same white envelope, the gold cursive letters 'WL'._ _

__"Duke Owlington?" Harry asked as Ivy opened the envelope, now forgetting about the flask of wine Ivy had. He wanted to know why someone would name their owl such a funny name. Of course, Hedwig's a funny name but he was named by Hagrid. The professor always comes up with odd names for the creatures he rescues or has._ _

__Ivy looked up at Harry and shrugged as she pulled out the grey envelope. "What?" she asked him with a half-smile. She doesn't think it's a bad name. It's cute to her. "I was only 4 when I named him that."_ _

__"So, what's the letter about and who from?" Draco asked her and looked down at the letter in her cousins hand as he began eating the porridge he dished up for himself many minutes ago. The porridge was still quite warm._ _

__"My mother," Ivy said dazedly, slightly frowning at the Passionfruit scent from the envelope. She hoped this letter will be a nice one and nothing negative. "I'm not going to open it yet though. After breakfast, probably." She gave her owl a piece of toast and watched Duke Owlington take off back to the Owlery._ _

__Harry nodded and looked beside him at his boyfriend who he realized was staring at him the entire time. He gave Draco a small smile and the Slytherin returned the smile with a blush. Harry kept staring at Draco and didn't even realize Ivy got up and left. "Hey, where are you going?"_ _

__Ivy turned around with a deep sigh, trying to hide her real emotions from sight with a forced smile. "Oh, nowhere special," she said and stuffed the letter from her mother into the pocket of her school robe._ _

__"Oh, okay then," Harry said but furrowed his eyebrows worriedly, knowing she could go anywhere in the school and disappear. He looked back at Draco, catching him staring again. Fuck it. It Gregory, Vincent, And Theodore see this so be it. He slid his hands around Draco's waist and pulled him closer. One of his hands come up and hold Draco's cheek, the other stays by the Slytherin's waist, and Harry tilts his head to the side and connects his lips to Draco's._ _

__In that kiss was the sweetness of passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into a moment as they are in each other's protective cocoon. No bad thoughts, because of the protective cocoon, could separate them or make them feel down._ _

__*****_ _

__Ivy was walking out of the Great Hall and decided to head to Moaning Myrtles Bathroom, using the secret Passageway she found in 2nd year. Only she and Draco know if it. She walked the long corridors until she came to a halt in front of a painting of a woman in a white flowy dress who was reading on a wooden garden swing in a garden. "Oh, hello young one," the lady in the picture looked up at Ivy and smiled. "Everything alright, dear?"_ _

__Ivy sighed deeply and put on her fakest smile. It was easy to lie to portraits about what she's really feeling right now. "Yes, I'm fine." The lady in the picture clearly didn't believe her words. The lady in white was about to say something, but Ivy cut her off by telling her the password. "Stillae."_ _

__The portrait opened up into a secret dark hallway. Ivy climbed through it, took out her wand and cast a "Lumos." Her wand lit up the inside of the portrait and she kept on walking. It had been around 3 minutes until she stood in front of three looking archway doors. One had carvings of a lion drinking, the other had a carving of snitches, and the other had carvings of bones._ _

__Ivy walked up to the archway door with the Lion carving and said "Aperta Leonis." The archway opened, leading into the Gryffindor girl's bathroom where Moaning Myrtle lurks about in her toilet. She walked inside the archway and came into one of the stalls of the Girl's bathroom. When opening up the stall she was in, she looked back and saw the entrance back to the archways close up, a toilet came into view as it would have if someone had walked inside the stall._ _

__Ivy exited the bathroom stall and went to sit beside the sinks. She hesitantly grabbed the letter from her pocket, starting to shake a bit, and read it._ _

___Dear my ungrateful Daughter, _  
_You are a sorry excuse of a daughter. You are a disgrace to the world in which we live in. I can't believe I never sent you off to an orphanage when I had you, it would have been much easier if you were never born. Honestly, you're lucky you've made it this far in your life. Because timid, anxiety-ridden little girls don't survive long in the real world. They get crushed and don't get back up. But it's not like anyone needs you. I am moving far far away, away from your revolting self. You are a niggling, small, miserable, soulless creature. You got nothing. Good luck finding a home you fowl, slutty, disgusting, piece of trash. Nobody likes you; you dumb, ugly, stupid little brat and you know it. You know what to do next after you've read this letter. Hope I never see you again you disgusting little girl. _  
_sincerely, _  
_Willow LeStrange ___

__Ivy dropped the letter onto the floor, feeling her eyes starting to sting from tears. "I have no one," she whispered to herself, a river of tears streamed down her pale face. "I really am stupid, ugly, fowl..." She decided this was it. She really did have enough of life at it is. "Is this what you want, mother?" Her voice only raised higher. "Fine, you git!"_ _

__She searched her robe pocket for her blade which she found in a skull candle sitting lonely on a bookshelf in the Slytherin common room. It was hard to get since the flame in the candle never died or faded. Sighing, she grabbed ahold of her blade but also grabbed a piece of scrunched up paper from her pocket, and transfigured a rock into a pen and began writing._ _

___To Draco, _  
_I'm sorry, I can't live like this anymore. I have nothing left; I've lost everything. You know how much my mother hates me and how much she abuses me. This summer I lied, I never said she fed me once a day, she fed me once every two weeks. I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell you. I understand if you're angry, I deserve to be hated. I'm just a freak. A freak who's never supposed to have been born.  
If you find my mother's letter, you may read it as I won't be here anymore. You don't know how alone I've felt these past few years. Yes, I had you and Pansy, Blaise and I slowly made friends with Harry Potter which I never knew was possible. I'm grateful for the friendship with him, he's a great guy and I know you two deserve to be with one another. You two are like two peas in a pod, inseparable.  
Anyway, this isn't about you, it's about me. I'm sorry, Drake. I'm sorry for all the lies I've told you, especially with my muggle friends. They've been ignoring me. Going out with one another and not inviting me. I've felt so worthless, ugly and stupid. I know if you were here with me, you'd be telling me I'm neither of those things and I'm glad. I'm so glad to have you in my life. Without you, I wouldn't have even been alive this year or even last year or the year before that. I have to go now. You are like a brother to me, a brother that I never had. Goodbye, my beloved brother. I love you. _  
_Love, Ivy ___

__Ivy pulled up her sleeves and looked down at her latest cuts. She sent the letter to Draco with a spell, hoping it will get to him after she... They were nearly healed. She took the blade to her skin, slicing her wrist, watching the blood pour out. She watched it in awe, as this would be the last time that she ever felt... Something. She cut again, and again, and again. Ivy had made five cuts, soon enough there were ten. She did the same with her other arm, watching as the scarlet blood dripped down her arms. The blood. Her blood. She cut on her legs, stabbing them, crying out in pain and pleasure. Ivy then blacked out._ _


	19. A Secret Garden made for Love

Draco had just finished breakfast with Harry at the Gryffindor table and got up to leave for Herbology. He felt Harry's shoulder on his and looked over to see Harry walking side-by-side with him. He linked hands with Harry, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and walked to Herbology with him. His boyfriend really was gorgeous, like a lonely rose resting inside a garden filled with daffodils. So beautiful and pristine. It was a lot of work to even take his eyes off Harry.

Harry smiled at his boyfriend and he pulled him closer a little. A moment of silence crept over the boys as they walked to class. "Let's hurry," he said and started walking a little faster with Draco in tow. He doesn't exactly want detention. "I don't want us to be late."

As soon as the boys got to Herbology, they found a spot around the large table beside each other. What they wanted was for the class to hurry up and end so they can go find Ivy to make sure she is okay.

"Good morning, my lovelies," said Professor Sprout in her regular happy tone. "Today I'll be teaching you about the Leaping Toadstool. You'll all be repotting them, actually. So get your books out to page 201 and start reading!"

The sounds of books being placed on a wooden table, and pages being opened echoed through the room. Harry felt like someone was watching him and he expected it to be Draco but when he looks beside him at his boyfriend Draco was already reading about Leaping Toadstools. He looked around the table and that's when he spots Ron looking at him. He gives him a little smile, which his dormmate gives him back.

Draco had two people he had to watch out for. Ivy and Harry. Ever since finding those cuts on Harry's arm, he has been so worried. He is always hoping Harry is okay, someplace safe, away from sharp objects and around from people who could hurt him. Harry really is a sweetheart. He is so happy to have Harry in his life. Even if his boyfriend suffers from something, which he does hope he will let spill soon.

Through the first 10 minutes of the class, Draco couldn't help but glance at Harry a few times. He knew Harry was glancing back at him and he liked it. No, he loved it. At times, they would even stare into each other's eyes, admiring the beauty of them.

Harry leaned closer to Draco as he couldn't help it. Every time those silver eyes look into his green ones, his heartbeat would pick up rate and he would feel a little dizzy. Not the bad kind of dizzy. The good dizzy. He was dizzy in love. His hands slid around Draco's waist, and as he sees a lovely gleam in Draco's eyes, he closes his eyes and leans in for a kiss.

Draco smiles lovingly at him, wanting that kiss more than anything. He only gives him a little peck as he and Harry aren't alone in a room somewhere in Hogwarts. "Harry," he whispers and brings his hand up to cup Harry's cheek. "We can do this after class." Harry frowned and looked down at his classwork he had to do, and Draco frowned with him and got back to repotting the Leaping Toadstools.

Harry and Draco looked back at each other and smiled. They couldn't help it. They moved back closer to each other, Draco grabbed Harry's waist and dipped him over the table, kissing him gently and carefully, and Harry's arms came up and wrapped around Draco's neck. It was the kind of kiss that steals your breath away but gives it back. It definitely took their breath away. Everything around them became oddly quiet but they didn't mind. Not really.

Harry could feel Draco's blonde fringe lightly tickling his forehead, and he could feel the Slytherin's crotch touching his own. He smiled against his boyfriend's lips, and one of his hands crept up the back of Draco's neck and up through the Slytherin's hair.

Hermione and Pansy were giggling at the two making out in the greenhouse in front of everyone, and Seamus and Dean joined in with Harry and Draco by kissing each other besides Neville. Theodore was leaning on the table and rubbing at his chin like he's in thought as he watched Draco and Harry kissing. Gregory and Vincent just stared blankly at the couple snogging over the table.

"Ahem! Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy," Sprout said loudly, her voice booming through the Greenhouse. "As much as I love watching you two showing your love for one another, I do need you to still pay attention and get your work done."

The whole class then erupted into laughter, which made the happy couple pull out of the kiss with deep blushes on their faces. Draco helped Harry back to his feet, and gave him one more little kiss before getting back to finishing his classwork.

About 10 minutes later, a letter came flying through the Greenhouse but it wasn't delivered by owl. Draco grabbed the letter in hid-air as it flew towards him and read it. He began feeling tears form in his eyes and run down his face like little rivers. How could she do this? Where was she? What happened to her?

"Draco, what's wrong?" Harry asked concerningly, his eyebrows raised and his lip pursed. He put a hand on Draco's shoulder for reassurance and leaned closer. "What does it say?"

"I-It's I-Ivy," Draco stuttered quietly, not wanting anyone to find out. He just couldn't, this was too hard. He needed to find her. "S-she tri-." He felt a pair of arms around him, giving him a hug. Such cosy and soothing arms. He felt Harry's head lean onto his shoulder. He loves Harry so much; he doesn't know how he could have reacted if he didn't have Harry here.

"Want to tell me or can I read what it says?" Harry asked sympathy with furrowed eyebrows and a soothing tone. Whatever's got his boyfriend sad and crying he needs to know what it is. He needs to fix whatever it is Ivy tried to do.

"Read it," Draco said and nearly sobbed, giving Harry the note with his shaky hands. His heart was burning in his chest with pain. Pain that he knew would be from a lost loved one. He couldn't lose Ivy. She's like a sister to him.

Harry scanned over the letter and his frown deepens. It was a suicide note. He has never written one of these before because at the Dursleys' he knew nobody would care about the letter or about his death. Uncle Vernon would probably just chuck him in a fire and burn him into ashes. He looked up at Sprout, note still in his hands. "Professor, Draco and I have to go find someone."

"Very well, you and Mr Malfoy may go," Professor Sprout said without asking for a reason as she saw the looks of worry on the boy's faces. Especially Draco as it looks a little like he's crying. The poor thing.

Harry left the note on the table, grabbed Draco's hand and rushed out of the classroom with the Slytherin by his side. They ran, not knowing where they were going. Every corridor felt like a dead end, and they both hoped they would reach Ivy in time.

"Where would she go if she was feeling like this?" Harry asked quickly, not wanting to say the rest in case it hurt Draco even more. The thought of doing so would make him want to run and be alone somewhere.

"S-she'd be at that moaning girl's bathroom," Draco managed to stumble out the words. He couldn't even remember the name of the ghost that haunts that girl's lavatory. "In Gryffindor Tower. Make a left up here." He directed Harry through the corridors and up to the third floor. "Down here, make a right." Finally, they came across the portrait with the reading woman in a white dress.

"Stillae," Draco said and watched as the portrait opened up. He took out his wand from the robe pocket, shakily pointed it in front of him and cast a "Lumos." Once light appeared on his wand, he and Harry rushed through the darkened hallway until they got to the three archway doors. "Aperta Leonis" They watched the door open and rushed inside. He watched Harry's surprised expression on his face, and it made him smile a little. As the secret passage opened, they both could smell the metallic smell of blood.

Draco opened the stall door and saw what he dreaded since reading that note. He let his tears fall down his face in a flow like a river. He ran up to Ivy, held her hand and hugged her lifeless body, weeping in pain. He saw the letter her mother sent and read it. How dare a mother say that to her own daughter! How dare a mother make her daughter feel like this! He swore to himself whenever he sees Ivy again if he sees Ivy again that he will tell her how worthy she is and that she can always stay at Malfoy manor with his mother and father because she is very damned welcomed.

Harry saw him crying and frowned. He went over to him, knelt down and saw how much blood there was. He opened her mouth and put his ear to her mouth, listening for any signs of life. His eyes widened. "We can still save her!"

Draco looked at him in shock and watched Harry then feel her pulse. He's never done something like that, feel for someone's pulse. He never needed to. "How?" he asked him in disbelief while still crying onto his beloved cousin's body. He just hoped there is time to save her. His hands were now covered in blood, and his robes probably were too.

"Help me get her to Madam Pomfrey," Harry said boldly like he's done this before which he hasn't. He then gently cast a levitation spell on Ivy's body, and she rose up, her bloody arms dangling by her sides. "There is still time to save her. Let's go!"

They rushed out of the bathroom, taking the secret entrance out, and headed to the Hospital Ward. About 3 minutes later the boys get stopped by Professor McGonagall in the corridors. "Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy, hold up!" yelled Professor McGonagall from around the corner.

Both boys slowed down and watched as the professor stormed towards them with a very familiar note in her hands. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked worriedly. "I have been to Pomona Sprout after she fire-called me about the note. She and the rest of the professors are all looking for..." Then she saw the blood on the girl's arms and thighs. "her... What happened to her arms?"

"There's no time for explanations Professor, we have to get Ivy to Madam Pomfrey immediately!" Harry said quickly and his expression crossed with worry and exhaustion. It was tiring carrying a body with his magic. It was slowly draining him.

"Yes, very well, this way!" said the professor, and she helped Harry with levitating Ivy. "There's a shortcut." The boys followed her around, getting to know new secret passageways but the passwords were a bit too hard to remember since they were like sentences in Latin. The finally made it to the Hospital Wing, ran inside with a still unconscious Ivy Black in the air and laid her down on a bed.

Madam Pomfrey came in from her office and rushed to Ivy's side. She looked down at the cuts on her arms and legs. She knew exactly what they were. She knows of a few suicidal students. She walked over to a cupboard nearby, grabbed a blue liquid potion and went back over to her. Opening Ivy's mouth slightly, she poured a few droplets of the potion into her mouth.

Harry focused back on the Professor as two chairs were summoned by Ivy's bed which he and Draco sat down on. "She tried to take her own life," he said with a frown and intertwined hands with Draco just to reassure himself and Draco that everything will be fine.

"The poor thing," McGonagall said, wiping a single tear from her eye and didn't notice when Snape and Sprout had walked into the Hospital Wing. She scanned the note, tore it apart, chucked it in the bin and said, "What kind of mother would say something like that to her own child!"

"Oh, how is she doing?" asked Professor Sprout carefully to Madam Pomphrey. "Mentally and physically is what I want to know."

Madam Pomphrey watched as the cuts on the young girls arms and legs healed a little too quickly to her knowledge on cuts and wounds. Strange... She dabbed a wet cloth over the faded cuts to remove the blood from Ivy's limbs. "Mentally I really don't know," she told her, frowning. "Physically, she will be okay. I still need to run some tests." She scanned the girl's body with her wand, going from head to toe. She hesitated when she got to the girl's eyelids. She could see something very odd, like a round plate over the girl's eye but when she lifted an eyelid up all she saw were blue eyes. Then it hit her.

She looked at the two boys, not knowing if they know this already. "Did you know Miss Ivy Black wears contact lenses?" she asked them, and then looked up at the three professors. "Her blue eyes are fake. Does anyone know of her real eye colour?"

Draco shook his head, and so did Harry. They had no idea she wore contact lenses. "We never knew of this, Madam Pomphrey," Draco informed her, lying to her face though he knew Harry didn't know if this. Perhaps sending Ivy here was too dangerous. "I've never seen her put contact lenses in at all. I thought those eyes were real."

"She's a Black, isn't she?" Snape asked the teenagers but he didn't need an answer. He knew it already. "Sirius Black had grey-black eyes. From what I know, all Black family members have dark eyes."

Draco knew his mother didn't have dark eyes. She had blue eyes. "Where are all the other professors?" he asked all the adults surrounding him, Harry, and Ivy. She was still unconscious, unfortunately. "Are they still looking for Ivy?"

"Mr Malfoy, this isn't the first time a Hogwarts student has tried to commit suicide," Professor McGonagall told him, and her usual strictness had gone, faded. "And yes, they're still out looking for her. Even the Prefects and Head of Houses. But they were told not to tell anyone about what they're doing."

"You two better be off," Madam Pomphrey said with a smile that reassured the boys that Ivy will be okay. Ivy will just be a little shaken up. That's all. "She'll probably wake sometime this afternoon, so you may come by then."

Draco sighed lightly, glad to still have Ivy with him and Harry and that she wasn't... dead. "Thank you, Professors," he replied soberly as he needed to thank them for being here with Ivy. He then got up with Harry and walked out of the Hospital Wing hand in hand with Harry. When they little were far away from the Hospital Wing, Draco pulled Harry into a hug and started sobbing uncontrollably in his arms.

Harry hugged back gently and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Shh... It's going to be okay, Draco," he told him soothingly. "We should go somewhere until evening, just to relax and cuddle." He leaned away from the hug and raised his hands up to the Slytherin's face so he could wipe away the falling tears with his thumb. "Sound good?"

Draco nodded and stared into Harry's green eyes full of emeralds. He couldn't help but lean in and end the space between himself and Harry. He needed this, he wanted this. When he felt Harry kiss back, he began to calm down. He leaned his head on Harry's shoulder. "Okay," he eventually said and leaned away from the hug, wiping his eyes on his robe sleeve. "Lead the way, Harry."

Harry and Draco were walking around the castle for what felt like hours, looking for a place to go by themselves when it hit them, straight in the face. It literally hit them. "Oww!" Harry and Draco both winced, rubbing at their foreheads.

"What was that?" Harry asked as he was looking straight down a corridor. What was it he and Draco bumped into? Is there an invisible wall somewhere?

Draco had his hand up in front of him like he was in the dark with no light source feeling around for something the naked eye couldn't see. "I think this is a portrait, but then again, it looks so real," he said in wonder and staring at the corridor they somehow crashed into. He definitely felt something in front of them.

"Oh, don't you think it's big enough to hold a secret passageway behind it?" Harry asked him while placing his hands out in front of him and feeling the ginormous portrait for himself. It was almost scary to know there are secret places like this. Who else would be hidden in the castle?

"Yeah, I bet there's a-" Draco found a wall torch a little beside the giant portrait. "Yes!" He opened the portrait by the wall torch and which it revealed a dark hidden passageway. Curiosity got the best of him. "Want to see where it leads?"

Harry nodded excitedly and grinned. He just hoped it wouldn't lead him and Draco to something bad like a pit of lava or vipers. "Sure."

They both got out their wands and cast a "Lumos" so they could see in front of them as they entered through the dark hidden passageway. They walked on and on until they noticed that the passageway became brighter and the floor and walls were covered with what looked like vines. They then came to a mysterious looking wooden door with more roots and vines snaking up and around the door and a little wooden carved symbol of a badger on the doorknob. Harry and Draco both looked at each other, looking to see if the other agrees with them to open the door.

With a click, the door opened to what looked like a beautiful large pristine garden, with long meadows of flowers, a pond, and a white painted gazebo. Draco and Harry both cast a quick "Nox" to take away the light from their wands as they smiled at the beautiful scenery before them, smelling the different types of smells and listening to the different noises the garden had to offer.

"This is magnificent!" Harry said and his eyes widened with amazement. He smiled widely at the gardens before him. He has never seen such gardens before in his life. One thing he knows for sure is that these gardens are nothing compared to Draco. This Slytherin makes him feel all fluttery and dizzy inside.

"It sure is, Hun-" Draco said but paused, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. He has never called Harry Hun or Honey. Harry calls him those words. He saw Harry turn to smile at him, so he returned the smile and glanced down at Harry's lips. "I-."

Harry cut Draco off by reaching his hand up, trailing his thumb down Draco's cheeks to his lips. He looked up into Draco's silver eyes and leaned towards him, kissing him square on the lips. Draco kissed Harry back slowly, smiling in between the kiss and cupping his hand over Harry's chin while his other hand slid around Harry's waist. They stayed like this for over a minute, kissing each other so lovingly but they had no intention to feel anything sexual. They both pulled out of the kiss panting for air, as they rested their foreheads against each other.

Harry looked into Draco's warm silver eyes, feeling his heart pound in his chest for his Slytherin boyfriend. "Just in case you need remembering, you're honestly so beautiful."

Draco looked into Harry's emerald green eyes lovingly. Merlin, he loves his Gryffindor prince. "No, you're beautiful," he told Harry honestly with a smile. "You're so beautiful I feel like I'm wasting my time when I'm not looking at you."

Harry shook his head and smiled sweetly at him, knowing his face is probably;y as red as a tomato now because of the compliments. "No, that's impossible. You're more beautiful than an angel. You might not see it but I do."

Draco felt himself blush and he shook his head. Being called an angel is pretty new to him and he likes it. "Harry, you have your scars, and that is alright.," he said while giving Harry's nose a kiss. "They are part of you and you're beautiful just the way you are."

Harry's blush darkens and he swears the colours of his cheeks are tomato red. He leaned in for another kiss, lifting both of his arms around Draco's neck and the Slytherin wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him in closer. As soon as they felt they needed air, they broke apart, smiled at each other lovingly and walked, hand in hand, towards the gazebo which had another emblem of a badger. They both placed their wands on the table and sat down on the wooden chair under the gazebo, next to each other, Harry laying his head on Draco's shoulder.

Harry looked into Draco's eyes again and tucked a single strand of whiteish Blonde hair behind his ear and kissed his cheek. "Stay here," he said while getting up and moving towards the meadow of flowers.

Draco watched Harry go to the flower meadow and smiled lovingly. He watched as Harry searched the meadow for the perfect flower. Draco then zoned out and thought about Ivy being in the Hospital Wing. She would love this, he thought with a frown. I hope that sometime I can show her this astonishing place. He knew this place would brighten her day up as she loves nature and its animals.

Harry looked around the meadow, seeing poppy's, daffodils, roses, lilies and Azaleas. He decided to grab a rose because it's the flower of love and romance. Without getting pricked by the rose, he walked back towards the gazebo to Draco. He walked up the steps, nearly tripping over, but managed not to, and sat next to Draco.

Harry laid the red rose he picked on Draco's right ear, smiled and looked into Draco's stunning eyes. "I've been thinking about that first kiss with you that morning in the Ravenclaw bedroom," He said as he was feeling a blush across his cheeks as he stared deeply into Draco's eyes.

Harry thought that this was the most, and the first romantic thing he ever had done in his life. He has always wanted to see a real garden and the best thing about it is that Draco's here with him. The sounds of the small waterfall rushing water into the pond, the birds chirping, the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees made the moment seem magical.

Draco blushed even more from Harry giving him a rose and from what Harry had told him just then. "Yeah that really was a wonderful kiss, by the way, Harry," He said as he gave Harry a beautiful smile that he knew Harry loved. "You're a really good kisser too. I love your kisses and I love you." He then leaned in to kiss Harry before he could answer back.

Harry kissed back eagerly, feeling as the moment could last forever. Feeling Draco's soft, warm lips on his own caused an electric sensation rush through him, a powerful sensation that only this Slytherin could give him. As their lips separated, they never broke eye contact but they both blushed and smiled at each other. Draco gave Harry a forehead kiss just to make the moment a bit more special.

All of a sudden, 2 Rainbow Lorikeets, 1 Cockatoo and a Galah came out of nowhere, carrying what looked like a picnic basket. The air had suddenly smelt like Pumpkin pasties, Butterbeer and treacle tart. The boys watched in utter surprise as the birds slowly and carefully dropped the picnic basket onto the table they were sitting at. Draco opened the basket to reveal A couple of Pumpkin pasties, two Butterbeers and two little Treacle Tarts.

Draco and Harry looked at each other even more surprised, they didn't think this could happen in a garden. But this was Hogwarts, anything could happen if you knew where to look.

Harry looked into the basket, smelling and seeing the mini Treacle Tarts he loved. Most of all there was warm Butterbeer too. "What in Merlin's name?" he asked the basket of food like it will spit out the answer to him. "How is this even possible?"

Draco saw a note on top of the picnic basket and read it out loud. Although the handwriting wasn't that neat, so he found it a bit hard to read.

_To Harry Potter _  
_Dobby made Harry Potter and Mr Malfoy some Afternoon Tea. _  
_Congratulations in finding the hidden Hogwarts Garden of Amare. _  
_Legend has it that only true soulmates can come across this Garden. _  
_From Dobby. ___

__Draco smiled at the note. How did Dobby know he and Harry were here? "Seems like your Elf made us Afternoon Tea," he said with a warm little smile. "How very kind of him." The question about how the elf knew about this place still lingered in his brain. Unless all house-elves know of the place._ _

__Harry nodded and dug into the basket for his treacle tart. He hasn't had this in ages. He never thought that he deserved dessert and its nice flavour. "Yeah, Dobby is the best elf friend I've ever had, even if he still thinks of himself as a servant."_ _

__"We must not let this food go to waste," Draco said at once and fished out a pumpkin pastry and a Butterbeer. He held up his Butterbeer as he said, "Cheers to love, laughter, and a happy ever after."_ _

__Harry grabbed out his own Butterbeer from the picnic basket and raised it to Draco's. He clinked their Butterbeer bottles together with a little smile and they both took a sip. The warm liquid ran down his throat and warmed his stomach up from the inside. "Would this be our second or third date together even if we didn't exactly plan it?"_ _

__Draco shrugged as he really did not know the answer to that. They've spent so much time together as a couple that every time he is with Harry feels like a date. "This is probably our third date together," he told the Gryffindor who began to eat a Treacle tart and drink his Butterbeer. "But every time I am with you feels like a date." He noticed his boyfriend get a little bit of Butterbeer on his lip. It was distracting. "Including the dancing, having lunch together alone in the Library Secret Room, The Yule Ball dancing, the Willow Tree, and here. Oh, and you have a little something on your lip." He pointed to where the butterbeer moustache was situated on Harry's lip._ _

__Harry blushed a little and licked his bottom and top lip. He wasn't that embarrassed over it though as he's done this multiple times when around Draco. "Did I get it?"_ _

__Draco sighed and shook his head, feeling a fun and daring thought pop into his mind. "No, it's still there. Here, let me get it for you," he said as he leaned closer to Harry, licking the Butterbeer of Harry's lip and then embracing him in a kiss. He parted Harry's lips with ease due to Harry not fighting back for entrance of his own mouth and he slipped his tongue into the Gryffindor's perfect mouth._ _

__Harry, of course, kissed back and moaned a little from the Slytherin's tongue in his mouth but then Draco pulled away. He rolled his eyes at Draco and his playfulness while feeling a ball of Draco's saliva run down his tongue. "You're such a tease," he said with a smile and finished off his Treacle Tart._ _

__Draco smirked back at his boyfriend whose taste is in his mouth. He then started eating his Treacle Tart and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Sure, he has had treacle tarts but it was ages ago. "This is actually pretty good and it's less sugary than I thought it would be." He caught Harry staring at him with an eyebrow raised. "Like what you see, Potter?"_ _

__Harry smiled back at Draco and nodded. He couldn't lie to his boyfriend as he really is a sight to see. "Yes, I do like what I see," he said firmly and finished off his Butterbeer only a few seconds later._ _

__Draco smiled lovingly back to Harry and he reached under the table for Harry's hand. When he found the soft hand he loves holding, he brought it up to his mouth and placed kisses everywhere to the back of Harry's hand, and his knuckles, and his fingers._ _

__Harry bit his lip at the feeling of Draco's tongue licking up and down his fingers. He pictures something else that's not his fingers Draco could be licking like that. To distract himself from those thoughts, and the sudden hardening of his cock in his pants wanting to be licked like that by Draco, he grabbed his wand with his free hand and cast a quick "Tempus" that showed it was nearly 2 pm._ _

__They had 30 minutes until Madam Pomfrey lets Ivy go. "Want to go walk around and look through this garden?" he asked the Slytherin and continuously smiling and watched as Draco's eyes looked up at him. "It's nearly time to go see Ivy again and I have been wondering if this garden is endless."_ _

__Draco nodded, smiling at Harry at the thought of discovering places in this garden with his boyfriend. "I'd love that, and I'd love to explore this place even further with you," he replied with eyes that sparkled with excitement and he stood up. He held out his hand for Harry to take in his._ _

__Harry reached his hand over to Draco's and held on to it as he stood up. They walked off the gazebo and followed a cobblestone rock path leading towards what looked like a forest. The wind, though the boys had no clue where it was coming from, sent a shudder of movement through the branches. Sun-dappled leaves created flickering shadows the further Harry and Draco walked under. Pinecones and acorns were scatted over the ground under the trees. Animal Burrows were tucked underneath the tree roots. The boys even saw a Jackelope, a few tree snakes, bluejays, hummingbirds and other birds flying around._ _

__Harry's eyes suddenly spotted an interesting circle pattern made with flowers. "A fairy ring?" he said and kneeled down to take a better look at it. He remembered a kids tv show by the name of 'The Fairies' and how fairies happily sang and danced around the fairy ring. It was a boring show to him_ _

__Draco looked at Harry and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion."A fairy what now?" he asked as he now was seeing the peculiar ring of flowers a meter or two away from them. He knows about fairies but didn't think they could create a ring of flowers._ _

__"A fairy ring," Harry says as he reached out to touch the flowers. There were daisies and poppy's in the flower ring. He didn't want to move the flowers out of the ring in case the fairies get mad. "I only know of it from a muggle Television show. TV for short."_ _

__"A muggle what?" Draco asked as he scratched at his chin, confused with what Harry's talking about. All he knows about muggles are phones from what Ivy's told him. That's all. What's a TV?_ _

__Harry started looking down the narrow cobblestone path, thinking about where it would lead too if he and Draco were to follow it further down to see where it goes. "It's basically like a picture to us wizards, and how they move but muggles have this thing called a TV," he said blankly then looked up at the Slytherin. "It's where they watch things that have been recorded by other muggles."_ _

__"Oh, I understand now," Draco said but was still confused about how muggles know about fairies. Who told the muggles that fairies exist? Did they get punished? Why would some wizarding folk expose the existence of fairies?_ _

__Harry stood up and returned to Draco's side. He gave him a kiss on the cheek then began to start walking down the cobblestone path. He was intrigued by what lay ahead of them. "We should explore as we don't know what we might find."_ _

__Draco smiled when feeling Harry's lingering kiss on his cheek and caught up to him in a jog. "Sure, I'd love to."_ _

__Harry grabbed Draco's hand and held it in his as they continued down the cobblestone pathway with trees covering them from the suns rays above them. "You are really amazing, Draco," he said as he rushed in front of Draco, making him stop with a hand on his stomach, and planted a kiss on Draco's nose._ _

__Draco looked down at his nose where his boyfriend kissed him and smiled. His face felt a little warm now. It was a familiar warmth feeling. He was blushing. "No, you are," he said sweetly and gave a little kiss to Harry's chin. "You're incredible! And do we really have to do this again?"_ _

__Harry smiled and leaned away, looking at the ground. "Remember the times where we nearly kissed in multiple classes?" he asked him while pulling the Slytherin down the pathway to keep going._ _

__Draco nodded with a smile on his lips. He remembers every single day he spent with Harry when they were just good friends. "Yeah, I remember like the time in potions where I held up your chin and looked deeply in your beautiful eyes. I actually wanted to kiss you then. I've been wanting to kiss you since the start of our third year."_ _

__Harry chuckled and had to agree with Draco about that. He has been wanting to kiss Draco since last year. But now he has who he wants right now and can share the love he has to him. "That time in potions, I wouldn't have even cared if Ron and Hermione saw or even Professor Snape."_ _

__"This was great fun," Draco suddenly said and looked to the ground, hoping he can come here again with Harry. "We really should do this again as our next date unless you want to go somewhere else for our fourth date."_ _

__"I'd like to try something new," Harry said with a light shrug and began to think about where he and Draco can go. A dinner date perhaps? He wants to go to a restaurant for dinner but he and Draco aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade during the night. "Where should we go on that date?"_ _

__Draco looked back up at the Gryffindor and smiled warmly at him. "I would love to spend the day with you somewhere that's away from Hogwarts," He said with a squeeze of their entwined hands and was looking forward to that day already. Whenever it will be._ _

__"Sure, I can do that," Harry said with a nod and he pulled Draco closer. He leaned towards the blonde and gave his neck a kiss. "When and what time should our date be?"_ _

__Draco panicked a little as he didn't want to arrange anything right now. He was to busy stressing out about if Ivy was okay. "Uh... We actually should probably head back now," he said and reminded himself that Ivy could wake up any minute now. He needed to be by her bedside when she wakes up. He had a lot of questions to ask her._ _

__Harry understood and nodded but felt a little sad that Draco skipped his question. He loved the topic of dates when it comes up. "Of course, Hun," he aid with a wink at Draco for what was probably the third time that day._ _

__Draco blushed at the pet name but continued to head through the forest and back to the door leading out of the garden. When both Draco and Harry stood at the exit to the gardens, they looked back and admired the view for what felt like would be the last time. They knew it wouldn't be their last time because they will come back soon._ _

__Harry finished looking around at the scenery and looked back to Draco. He could never pry his eyes away from Draco even for a little while. "So... are we going to tell anybody about this place or keep it a secret?"_ _

__Draco looked at the scenery once more. "I actually was hoping we could keep it just between you and me, like our place, but I also want to show Ivy," he told him and let a frown appear on his face. "She will absolutely love this place; she loves nature and animals."_ _

__Harry looked over and smiled at Draco at him sadly. "I would like that too," he said softly to show he really didn't mind. "I don't mind her coming here, as long as it stays between the three of us. So, when will we come back here? After dinner? I would love to see this place at night and find where the pathway goes to."_ _

__Draco chuckled at his curious boyfriend and opened the door leading out of the gardens back into the corridors of Hogwarts. "You and your darn Gryffindor curiosity," he said with a shake of his head and a sigh._ _

__Harry walked through the doorway, cast a quick "Lumos," and waited for Draco to close the door. He was thinking about if he should he tell him about their first year and the sorting. "Well, actually... the hat nearly put me in Slytherin. It was my first option, but I denied it as I was told some biased things about the house of Slytherin._ _

__Draco looked at Harry in surprise and closed the door with a 'Slam'. He began walking through the tunnel and bombarded Harry with questions. "What?!" he asked in disbelief but he knew that face Harry gave him. Harry wasn't lying. "The hat put you in Slytherin? How come you never told anyone?"_ _

__Harry sighed from all these questions he must answer even if it was only one. "I never told anybody because, well, everyone thinks that anything associated with Slytherin is dark," he stated. "If I didn't reject the hat's sorting me into Slytherin, I'm sure that they'd all lose hope in the good side of the Wizarding World."_ _

__Draco raised an eyebrow, wondering if that would really be a bad thing. "Oh, I get that," he said with a distant nod. "But, how would showing a few Slytherin traits ruin their 'Chosen one'?"_ _

__Harry just stared at the ground blankly. "You know, Slytherins being Dark and Evil from what everyone says and believes," he said and looked up at the blonde Slytherin. "Do you get me?"_ _

__Draco nodded. He understands his boyfriend's worries now. "We're not really evil though," he says with a sad look, not understanding why anyone would believe that. Yes, Slytherins can be power-hungry but only for Power over others like higher ranks in a community. "Yes, most death Eaters are Slytherins but there are a lot of us Slytherins who are just kind-hearted as every other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."_ _

__"True, but last year we caught a Gryffindor Death Eater," Harry told him nearly bitterly at the memory of the rat-man. "His name is Peter Pettigrew." He frowned as he knows Peter was one of his father's friends. How could the man betray his father? "Well, we didn't catch him. He ran off in his animagi form."_ _

__Draco's face froze in horror. He knew that name from somewhere. The name was all over the news. It's why Sirius Black was sentenced to Azkaban for killing Peter. "Peter Pettigrew? Didn't he die from murder by Sirius Black?"_ _

__Harry shook his head, feeling slightly guilty for that day. Didn't Draco know Sirius wasn't a killer? Why would his godfather, and best friend of his dad, kill their old best friend? "No, he faked his own death so Sirius would get caught and get sent to Azkaban. The bloody idiot."_ _

__The boys were disrupted as they got to the end of the secret passageway. Draco looked around for the same trigger to open the portrait, pulled the unlit wall torch, and with a 'click' the portrait swung open. They peeked their heads out, scanning the corridors for any students. Luckily, there were no oncoming students, so they rushed out, letting the portrait close up and hurried along to the Hospital wing to see how Ivy's doing._ _

__Draco and Harry ran through the corridors of Hogwarts until they were at the Hospital wing, panting, hand in hand. They both walked through the entrance doorway towards the bed where Ivy law with mint coloured curtains shut around her. They hoped she was awake and is able to talk about things though they knew talking wouldn't be something she wants to do._ _

__"Madam Pomfrey?" Draco called out through the Hospital Wing, feeling slightly concerned that the medic witch was not around to make sure Ivy wouldn't leave and try anything else. He hoped to god that Ivy's alright and not thinking darkly amongst herself._ _

__"Yes?" Madam Pomfrey walked out of her office to see the two boys who carried Ivy earlier in by the door. Yes, Ivy. A girl she has so many questions to ask her. "Oh, hello dears. You're here to see Miss Ivy Black. She's all fine, been healed and is under Elixir to Induce Euphoria. It lasts a couple of days so that should probably help her heal her mental state. Side effects are excessive singing and nose-tweaking. Any questions?"_ _

__Harry shook his head and just as he was about to thank her, Draco was pulling him over to Ivy's bed. They opened the curtains and there she was Ivy, but with a smile on her face, and she was reading that latest copy Witch Weekly._ _

__Ivy looked up at the two boys and beamed like there was nothing wrong with her and that she hasn't tried anything. "Draco, Harry!" she said a little too loudly and put the magazine down beside her thighs. "It's so great to see you two again! Where have you been? I've been dying to know what my favourite couple has been doing."_ _

__Draco sat on her bed and wrapping his arms around her oddly excited body. Since she is happy he might as well talk to her about what she had tried doing. "I love you so much, Ivy," Draco said, feeling a single tear run down his cheek. "Please, never do something like that again. Promise me you won't."_ _

__Ivy pulled out of the hug, looking at her woeful cousin and wiped away the tear from his face. She smiled at him and his worry for her but she was okay. No, she was more than okay. She was happy. "I love you too, Drake," she said and gave him a pat on the shoulder, then she looked up at Harry. "I promise I will not do it again."_ _

__Harry couldn't have imagined the world without Ivy in it. His heart broke to see the girl so broken. Well, she was broken. Now she seems happy like nothing happened at all. "Ivy, there's so much out there for you, not just Draco and I," she told him softly. "There are so many places to explore and see through the world. You will find that special girl and she will lift you off your feet. You are worth so much, much more than the stars in the universe. You were gifted, gifted with this life and gifted with the friendship between the three of us."_ _

__Draco looked up at Harry with a soft smile and mouthed 'I love you', compassionately. He then looked back down at Ivy with the same smile placed on his lips. "Indeed, you are my one and only cousin and I'd hate to lose you to anything. I love you, Harry loves you, same does Pansy and Blaise. You're not alone in this world."_ _

__Ivy both looked at her two best friends and smiled greatly. "You guys, Pansy and Blaise are the only reason why I can still get up in the morning and live," she told them in a bubbly tone like the conversation wasn't sad at all. "I love all of you so much. You lot are the best friends a girl could ever wish for."_ _

__Draco and Harry frowned at what she just said and how happy she seemed still. It's like she was a robot who had only one emotion. Surely there must be something other than me, Pansy and Draco that she'd live for, Harry thought and looked to his boyfriend and mouthed 'I love you, too' since he forgot to say it back._ _

__"By the way, what's with the rose on your ear?" Ivy asked Draco curiously with a raised eyebrow, pointing at the red rose on her cousin's ear. So that's why she could smell roses when they weren't even in the Hospital Wing. It was sweet to see but there aren't any rose bushes around Hogwarts that she knows of. Unless she's too blind to see them._ _

__"Oh," Draco said and a blush rose to his cheeks. He smiled up at Harry who still stood by the bed. "Ask him, he's the one who gave it to me. He's my sweetheart who I love from the bottom of my heart."_ _

__Ivy then looked up at Harry and smiled knowingly. So that's who put a nice red rose on her cousin's ear. She should have known. "That's very sweet of you to do, Harry," she said amiably with a hand over her heart. "My cousin is really lucky to have you as his boyfriend."_ _

__Harry nodded and smiled at Ivy. He's the lucky one to have Draco actually. Who would make him happy without Draco? Who would give him hugs, kisses, and love? "He sure is beautiful, isn't he?" It wasn't a question at all as he knows the answer very well._ _

__Draco blushed a deeper shade of red and smiled back at Harry. He hoped his face wasn't as red as his mother's lipstick. "I love you, Harry. So much that you wouldn't understand."_ _

__Harry rolled his eyes playfully at the confession which he truly loves hearing and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. "I love you too, Draco. More than anything in the world."_ _

__Ivy looked up at the two boys and giggled at them. She loves watching these two lovebirds kiss, and hug, and cuddle if she ever catches them doing so. She wants to catch Harry and Draco in the act of kissing and cuddling. But every time she wants to find them they just disappear. It's like they went to someplace without her seeing._ _

__Draco looked over at Harry with a smile on his face, glad Harry could make his cousin laugh with these simple loving gestures and words he and Harry tell each other every day. "Do that again," he tells him quickly with a little poke on the side. "I think she likes it."_ _

__Harry kissed his boyfriend on the cheek again, but then he kissed him down to Draco's jawbone and kept going until he reached the Slytherin's neck. He gave him kisses on the neck everywhere, not knowing that Draco's closing his eyes and parting his lips like he's in pleasure. His kisses become a little sloppier, and he starts using his tongue to just tickle Draco's neck. He stopped what he was doing and leaned away when he heard Draco moan._ _

__Ivy's smile grew wider at the sight of her two favourite people giving kisses to each other and let out another giggle. The look on her cousin's face when Harry started nearly giving him hickeys was exciting to see. "Guyyyssssssss, stopppppp!"_ _

__Harry ignored her request and began to kiss Draco square on the lips in front of Ivy. Draco tilted his head to the side and kissed him back eagerly. When Harry kissed his neck... he couldn't explain it. But as soon as Harry's kisses became sloppier he started becoming hard and when Harry started using his tongue he just lost it. He wanted Harry alone, somewhere private, stripping each other of their clothes so he could give Harry the same feeling Harry gave him._ _

__Ivy rolled her eyes and sighed, wishing she had someone to do that with. Well, she had all the Beauxbaton girls who're either lesbian or bisexual to have a little fun with during the night. But it's always a one-time thing. She wants someone to share love with forever. "Alright, you can stop now. You guys are so darn cute together!"_ _

__Harry and Draco ended the kiss and looked over at Ivy, smiling cheekily at her. Harry looked around the room to see if anybody was listening. "While you were here, we were going to find a place to relax and... well, we stumbled across a portrait of what looked like another corridor of Hogwarts," he said, smiling as he remembering all that happened in that particular garden. "But it wasn't a corridor, it was a portrait. I won't go into too much detail or I'll be here the entire day but we found a magnificent garden. A secret garden."_ _

__Ivy looked at the boys, surprised. She just cannot believe it. "A hidden garden in Hogwarts?" she asked them in disbelief. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go, I want to see this garden." She got up off the bed but felt a little dizzy as she began walking with the boys._ _

__Draco shook his head and sighed. He had to know if Ivy's discharged from the Hospital Ward. He doesn't want anything happening to her when he and Harry take her to the gardens. "Has Madam Pomfrey said you can go?"_ _

__Madam Pomfrey came out of nowhere like she knew she had to be there. "Yes, Ivy is free to go," she said with a kind smile and gestured the door. "Just make sure to keep a close eye on her, she could faint due to blood loss but I gave her a blood replenishing potion when she was unconscious. But even that could make her faint."_ _

__"Thank you again, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said as he grabbed Draco and Ivy's hands and led them out of the Hospital Wing. God, he doesn't recall how cold Ivy's hands were. It's like he's touching Ice. He let go of Ivy's hand when they exited the Hospital wing, and he clung to Draco._ _

__Ivy looked around the corridors, feeling excited but that same familiar dizziness. She wanted to see this secret garden so much. She was thrilled Harry and Draco were able to find such a thing. "So, are we going there now?"_ _

__Draco smiled at his excited cousin, wanting to show her the gardens already. But this all had to do with time. Dinner would be soon and he doesn't exactly want to miss out on it. "It depends on what time it is. Does anyone know the time?"_ _

__Ivy watched as Harry led her and Draco through corridors and corridors until she knew they were nearly there because they started slowing down. But all she sees is a corridor in front of them. "I got a glimpse of the clock in the Wing, it read 4:30 PM."_ _

__Harry started slowing down his walking and stopped at the portrait of a corridor. "Great!" he said. But right now he wasn't really hungry. "That gives us an hour and thirty minutes until dinner time. He pulled down the wall torch and heard a familiar 'click'._ _

__Ivy looked up at the corridor, shocked, seeing that it's not actually a corridor and that it slowly opened up, revealing a hidden passageway into the dark. "Wow!" she said under her breath and immediately walked in, not caring about light. She can just feel her way to the end of the tunnel or use her eyes to see. She could come here during the night on her own and explore the place._ _

__Draco glimpsed at her, smiling as he saw her reaction. He was happy he and Harry could show her this new place. He wondered if he and Harry are the only ones who know about the secret garden. "Nearly there, just down the passageway," he said, casting a "Lumos" as he and Harry walked in after Ivy._ _

__The three walked down the passageway, Harry and Draco knew that they were getting close as it had become much lighter and had starting to see the same roots and vines as they did previously. Before they knew it, they had come to the door with the snake-like roots and vines._ _

__Draco smiled at Ivy as Harry opened the door and watched her look around at the scenery. He was glad he showed her this place. He knew she will go skip about this place during the night. He could see it already._ _

__Ivy was the first to enter and was totally shocked with awe as she saw the scenery before her eyes. "It's beautiful!" she said breathlessly, smiling like she was in a fairytale and walking towards the pond that was a little off from the gazebo._ _

__Harry and Draco followed her, hand in hand. "It sure is," Draco said with a short nod and a kiss to Harry's cheek which made Harry laugh softly and lean closer to him. He grinned with his eyes closed and placed his arms around Harry in a side hug. He turned his head to the side and placed a slow but sloppy kiss on Harry's neck. Harry groaned softly and tilted his head sideways so Draco had more room to kiss._ _

__"He sure is," Harry said, feeling Draco kiss his neck and tried so much not to let out a moan. The Slytherin kept kissing his neck as they followed Ivy, each kiss getting more sloppier and when he did let out a moan, Draco knew that must be Harry's sweet spot and he remembered where the spot was in his head. Harry turned his head to Draco's face and decided to end the space between Draco and himself._ _

__Ivy smiled at the two boys in awe. Yet again she catches them kissing and this feels like she's in a romantic Hallmark movie. What she wanted to know is how her cousin and Harry discovered this secret place. "How did you manage to find this place?" she asks and looks back at the pond, seeing her reflection and smiling at herself._ _

__Draco and Harry broke out of the kiss and looked over at Ivy. "Err... it just slammed right into us I guess," Harry told her, remembering every last detail of how he and Draco managed to find this place. It hurt a little bit too. He hopes he doesn't have a bump from the impact._ _

__Ivy turned around and gave the boys a confused expression, raising her eyebrows at how this place can just slam into the couple. "Slammed right into you?" she repeated in disbelief. "What do you mean?"_ _

__Draco chuckled a bit. If only she knew how it happened. "More like we slammed into it," he corrected Harry, smirking as Harry rolled his eyes at him. "Shall we explore a bit more of the gardens?"_ _

__"Yes, we should," said Harry with a nod as he looked around the gardens at the gazebo, the cobblestone pathway leading through the forest, the pond they were near with lilypads. "Can we show Ivy the fairy ring?"_ _

__Ivy looked up at Harry in wonder. Does this garden have a fairy ring? This day keeps surprising her every minute."Merlin's Beard! There are fairies here?" Ivy asked as she looked around at the flowers and towards the forest, trying to spot any fairy rings. "Take me there this instant! Please...?"_ _

__"Well, we haven't actually seen any fairies yet," Harry told her. He looked beside him at Draco who he catches staring at him yet again. He smiles and gives him a peck on the lips. "However, I am sure there are fairies. If there are mermaids in the Black Lake, there will be fairies here."_ _

__Ivy started singing 'The Fairy's theme song as she walked around the Gazebo with excitement._ _

___Down the winding pathway, _  
_Where pretty flowers grow. _  
_Around the side of the daisy bush, _  
_A secret place we go. _  
_Through the Magical Mystery Tree, _  
_A place you cannot see. _  
_Fairyland is where we live, _  
_The Fairies. We welcome you to Fairyland, _  
_Come and join along. _  
_With our fairy special friends, _  
_And have some fairy fun. _  
_Let's all have some fairy fun. ___

__Harry rolled his eyes at Ivy and the kid's theme song she sang. He had to admit, she has a true rock stars voice. Would Ivy take to the stage after Hogwarts and use her voice as a career?_ _

__Draco listened to every word of the song and sighed, missing Ivy's beautiful singing voice even if she sang a muggle kid's song. It was a weird song about fairies. Is there such thing as a Magical Mystery Tree?_ _

__Ivy hesitated as she spotted the fairy ring the boys were talking about and ran over to it. It was a daisy and poppy flower ring. "It's a fairy ring," she said and smiled at the beautiful ring of flowers. "Who wants to dance with me?"_ _

__Harry shook his head while Draco positioned himself in front of Harry and placed his arms around the Gryffindor's waist. He won't dance with Ivy but he will dance with Harry. They haven't danced at some time. "Dance with me, Potter," he whispered into the green-eyed Gryffindor's ear, and then Harry looked into his eyes and lifted his arms around Draco's neck._ _

__Ivy's grin grew wider when seeing the couple dance together without music except the tweet of birds. An idea popped into her head. Harry and Draco looked at each other, both sharing the same "Uh, Oh" expression on their face. She started skipping around the ring of flowers and started singing._ _

___We love a fairy ring, _  
_It makes us dance and sing. _  
_Skipping in a circle, _  
_And fluttering our wings. ___

___Dancing around the pretty flowers, _  
_Yes, we can dance for hours. _  
_Oh yes, we love a fairy ring. ___

__Harry and Draco looked at one another warmly like Ivy was their child who was doing her own childish things. Harry laid his head on Draco's shoulder, Draco kissed him on the forehead and they both smiled at Ivy._ _

__Harry cast a quick "Tempus," which showed it was around 5:20 pm. "We have around 40 minutes to wonder about this stunning garden until dinner time," he informs the two Slytherins. "Shall we head back to where we were going earlier, Draco? You know... through that forest?" He grinned back as Draco gave him a nod and he walked off past the fairy ring down the cobblestone path._ _

__Draco jogged and Ivy skipped up to Harry, trying to catch up to him as he kept walking. Draco latched his hand around Harry's and smiled as he stared into his emerald green eyes. The three kept walking down the cobblestone path, it kept going and going and going. The tree's surrounding the pathway were all different looking._ _

__There were Gum Trees, maple trees, birch trees and so many different kinds from around the world. It was like walking through an entirely new world, they even saw Koala's, Toucans and many other animals around. The three then suddenly stopped as there was a luscious green hedge the size of a door in front of them but arched. It had an opening and looked like it went in different directions if you entered through it._ _

__Draco looked at the odd hedge in confusion, then realized what it looked like. It was a maze. "Wow, this place is full of surprises," he said as he wondered how far the maze went. He didn't see it from the gazebo. How big are these gardens? If it could hold a forest, a maze, a whole garden then what else could be in these gardens?_ _

__Harry looked at the maze and the type of hedge was used for the maze. He felt like he wanted to go inside but was unsure whether they should or not. "Should we enter, or should we start to head back as it feels as it is nearly dinner time?"_ _

__Ivy cast a quick "Tempus," showing that it was 5:55 pm. "Oh, we definitely must get back," she said while feeling her tummy rumble as the thought of food popped into her head. "There are five minutes until dinner. Let's go, I'm hungry."_ _

__"Yes, lets," Draco said an turned around to head back but was stopped by a familiar house-elf. What's he doing here? "Dobby? When did you get here? And how did you know we were here?"_ _

__Ivy and Harry looked down at the house-elf named Dobby. The house-elf gave them a nervous smile. "Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter and Mr Malfoy. It was not a good idea to bring Miss Ivy Black to the secret Garden of Amare. Bad things will happen to Mr Harry Potter and Mr Draco Malfoy in this garden. Dobby does not know when a bad thing will happen but Dobby knows it is soon. Miss Ivy Black should have come with her soulmate, whoever Miss Ivy's soulmate is. Not by Harry Potter sir. This garden is only foundable by soulmates."_ _

__Harry and Draco looked at each other, a little anxious about this 'bad thing' that could happen to them. It was all because they showed Ivy the garden. "We didn't know there was a consequence to showing someone else the garden," Harry says to his house-elf. "Draco and I just wanted Ivy to see this place because we know she loves animals and nature."_ _

__"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy must be careful when visiting this garden next time," Dobby told them firmly. "Dobby does not know what bad thing is. Mr Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy need to find out for themselves. All Dobby knows is it is about the truth." Then he disappeared with a 'pop' out of their way._ _

__Draco blinked at where the house-elf was, then he put a hand around Harry's back. "Let's get going," he then said and tried not to think about what Dobby meant. It took them about three good minutes of running until they reached the gazebo and was out of breath. They started to walk towards the doorway to the portrait and Harry opened the door. Ivy and Draco hurriedly rushed through the doorway without looking back as the door closed on its own and Harry caught up to them._ _

__It took them a few minutes to reach the portrait and with a 'click' of an unlit wall torch, the portrait opened and the three rushed through it without looking around and making sure the coast was clear._ _

__Harry was the first into the Great Hall and then came Draco and Ivy as they made their way to the Slytherin table and sat down on the other side of Pansy and Blaise. Pansy looked up from her dinner with a smile at Harry, Draco, and Ivy. "Harry, how nice it is for you to join us again."_ _

__Harry looked at the food on the Slytherins table and how so neat and fancy it looked like always. "Thanks, Pansy," he replied with a small smile at her and began dishing up his plate with roast potatoes, pumpkins, peas, cauliflower, and roast chicken. "It's always great spending time with my boyfriend and his friends."_ _

__At the Gryffindor table, Ron looked up from his chicken leg he was wolfing down and saw that Blaise was staring at him. He blushed as Blaise gave him a wink and turned the other way to talk to Ginny, which he saw was staring at Luna, who was staring back with cheeks burning red._ _

__Harry chuckled at the Slytherin eyeing Ron and started eating his roast meal. "Ron, is it?" he asked the Italian Slytherin, smiling at him. "I mean... Ron did tell me after Christmas that you two kissed under a mistletoe."_ _

__Draco smirked at Blaise, his best friend. He doesn't recall Blaise telling him about the mistletoe unless he forgot. But a Malfoy never forgets. "Oh, so it is Weasley?" he said and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew it. "I thought so."_ _

__"I-" Blaise said and paused for a moment, before saying "Do." Everyone should have known by now. He hasn't been hiding his feelings for Ron. Ivy, Draco, Pansy and Harry smiled at the sudden coming out'._ _

__Harry smiled back at Pansy, Blaise, and Draco, whilst giving Draco a wink to which his boyfriend blushed. He wished he could stay longer but he feels exhausted from today. So much had happened. "Well, I must take my leave. I need a good night sleep."_ _

__"In that case, I'm coming with you," Draco said with a quiet voice to Harry but loud enough for Pansy, Blaise, and Ivy to hear. He wants to spend a night with Harry in Gryffindor Tower for the first time._ _

__"Oh, okay," said Harry who didn't think that would happen. He would have thought Draco would have made sure Ivy gets to the Slytherin common room safely other than going with him. "I guess we'll go then. Bye guys!"_ _

__"Goodbye, Harry," Ivy said warmly and opened up her arms for a hug, which Harry got up from his seat and gave her without hesitation. She smiled and gave him a squeeze in the hug. "I'll see you tomorrow. Look after my cousin for me during the night."_ _

__"You better look after my best friend," Pansy says matter of factly with her chin raised high. She'll make sure Harry will suffer, in the nicest way possible, if her best friend doesn't get enough sleep. "If you don't I will bring havoc over you and your little Gryffindors when you least expect it."_ _

__Harry gave a firm nod, and with a wave goodbye, he and Draco then walked to the doors of the Great Hall and exited. They left to go to the Gryffindor dorms to get a good night sleep since it was a really tiring and stressful day. But they first had to stop at the Slytherin boys dorms so Draco could get his pyjamas and a green fluffy towel and then they headed up to Gryffindor Tower._ _

__Harry grabbed his pyjamas and his red towel and with Draco, they headed to the boy's bathroom. When in a shower stall together, they started undressing until they were nude from head to toe. Draco looked down at Harry's arms. No cuts. It's as if Harry spells cuts away. Maybe he does. But Draco would surely know if it. Draco muttered a soap spell on the shower with his wand so it was like the shower was raining soap over them and making the shower smell like peaches. It's just a random scent that came to his mind._ _

__Harry was a little confused as he didn't know there were spells out there that can rain soap or body wash. But he liked it. The peachy smell was nice too. The impossible becomes possible when he's at Hogwarts and Draco's the one who made him realize it. When the Slytherin was naked and Harry tried not to drool at the sight, he raised his hands and placed them on the Slytherin's stomach, feeling the skin under his fingertips._ _

__Draco smiled at his touchy boyfriend and moved his hands around Harry's back, tickling him with his fingertips in the right spots he knows Harry likes. His hands slide further down, gripping Harry's bottom cheeks, and he lifted his boyfriend up a little and pinned him to the wall. Harry wrapped his legs around Draco's waist, and Draco pushed their bodies closer. Their lips part when they feel each other's cocks touching the other and Draco begins to rut against Harry._ _

__Harry moaned a little as he could feel the pleasure building in his gut and he tilted his head back, exposing his throat while his hands found their way around Draco's neck. He wanted to feel Draco. To feel Draco inside him for the first time. His first time. He needs it. He wants it. He wants his boyfriend to fuck him, to make him feel good, amazing. He craves for Draco to be inside him. "Please, Draco," he whispers as he looked up at Draco's messy hair with amusement, really loving how hot it looks when it's messy and wet. "Fuck me."_ _

__Draco tilts his head to the side a little and stops his rutting, not knowing what that word means. He leans away from Harry, dropping Harry back onto the ground but kept his arms around him. He leans forward and presses his lips to Harry's, kissing him softly under the raining shower. When Harry kisses him back, Draco swipes his tongue along Harry's bottom lip for entrance to his mouth. Harry eagerly opens his mouth for his boyfriend, and Draco slips his tongue inside the Gryffindor's mouth._ _

__Harry's opening his mouth wider each time Draco's tongue enters his mouth, and then pulls out to kiss him, and then enters him again. His brain is completely shut down, only focusing on the feel of Draco in his mouth, tasting him, and loving him. Draco moaned in Harry's mouth, feeling that need of lust and love and so he leans out of the warmth and coziness of Harry's mouth. "I love you, Harry," he says as he opens his silver eyes and stares into Harry's green ones._ _

__"I love you too, Draco," Harry whispers and presses his forehead to Draco's. He slides his hands down Draco's chest, flat stomach, and to his dick. He wrapped his hand around his boyfriend's dick and gently jacked it. His hand moved up Draco's length and swiped his thumb along the head of the cock in his hands, gathering the pre-come onto his thumb. He quickly raised that arm up and stuck his thumb in his mouth, telling Draco what he wants and he saw a spark in Draco's eye. Lust. "Let's head to bed."_ _

__Once Draco nodded while Harry turned the taps off and they dried themselves off and got into their pyjamas. They headed back to the dormitory and rushed over to Harry's bed. They got into bed, completely ignoring Seamus and Neville watching them, and they closed the drapes around the bed and themselves._ _

__***************************************************************************_ _

__⚠((Warning)) ⚠ Smut ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_ _

__***************************************************************************_ _

__Draco watched Harry sink down into the mattress, and he allowed himself to be pulled beside Harry, all the while looking into Harry's wide, inviting eyes. The kiss was inevitable, even from the moment they had left the bathroom; just picking up exactly where they'd left off. Draco absently ran strands of Harry's hair through his fingers as they kissed, completely unhurried, revelling in the soft pressure of Harry's mouth on his, and the tongue playing with his own._ _

__Harry's hands caressed up and down Draco's back just firmly enough to ruffle his pyjama top. He could feel the silk tickling his skin and even though it felt glorious, he wanted his hands on Harry instead. He wriggled in closer to Harry, inducing a satisfied moan that came from the back of Harry's throat and into his mouth, setting Draco's lips tingling as it passed between them._ _

__Harry forced the kiss a little harder, nipping at Draco and taking less care with his tongue. He got what he wanted when he felt Draco's hands slide underneath the bottom of his pyjama top and push upwards, trailing his blunt fingernails over Harry's skin, causing a shudder to ripple through his body and his breath to catch in his throat in a half-groan._ _

__And then Draco was dragging the pyjama top up and over his head, breaking the kiss only enough to free it and cast it aside before forcing his hungry mouth over Harry's and fighting back. The temperature was rising, but not as fast as Harry's cock, and his pyjama bottoms were way past uncomfortable and into genital torture territory._ _

__Harry was hot, but Draco's hands were hotter. They clawed at his body now, scratching tracks into the flesh and kneading him with a force not far short of bruising. Harry tilted his head back and moaned aloud at this erotic branding of Draco's, feeling Draco's lips press against his throat, holding the back of his head in place so he didn't stop kissing him there, where his skin was so sensitive to even the slightest touch. He sighed heatedly, drawing the sound out long and low until Draco whimpered in reply, ghosting hot breath across Harry's naked shoulder as he exhaled deeply._ _

__When Draco twisted beneath him, Harry went with the movement, allowing himself to be lowered flat against the mattress, his head on his pillows, until Draco straddled him, balancing on outstretched arms, pinning him with a stare that held no trace of anything other than lust. And then Draco leaned down, but not to kiss Harry. Instead, he attached his lips to Harry's neck, giving Harry only sloppy kisses everywhere he could reach._ _

__Harry moaned as Draco found that one sweet spot on his neck, but then they heard chuckling and giggling. Muttering to himself about curious Gryffindor's, Draco cast a privacy and silence charm around himself and Harry so they weren't heard. Then he smiled and got back to what he was doing, and while he got back to kissing Harry's neck, Harry was unbuttoning Draco's shirt and sliding it down his back. Draco had to lean away and pull the rest of his shirt off, disregarding it to the end of Harry's bed._ _

__Draco leaned back down but this time, he tongued at Harry's sweet spot, tickling him there with his wet tongue. Then without a warning, he bit down on Harry's neck, giving him a lovebite that he was sure will bruise Harry with his love. Harry whimpered at this new feeling, which he loved the sting as it was Draco who was giving him this pleasure. His body just seemed to get hotter and hotter but he knew his dick was the hottest part of his body and needed Draco's attention._ _

__Draco felt the unmistakable jump of Harry's cock on his stomach which he could feel how hard Harry was. He pondered if Harry will take the next step with him. He wanted Harry right here and now. Even if its in a room full of Harry's dormmates. He didn't care about them right now. He cared about Harry. He cared so much that he added one more lovebite to the arch where Harry's neck meets his shoulder._ _

__He leaned away from Harry's beautiful neck bruised with his love and stared down into those emerald green eyes he fell in love with. His eyes seemed to shimmer with lust. "I want you, Harry," he told him earnestly. "I need you."_ _

__Harry looked up into silver eyes, startled. Does Draco want the same thing that he does? Sex? He wants it so badly though. He craves it. "Do you mean...?"_ _

__Draco nodded with a half-smile. He could see the spark of lust in those gorgeous eyes of Harry's. "Yes, I have for a while," he makes out though his body was telling him to just get on with it already. "Every night, I think about it and I've always wondered what it would be like. I am tired of just thinking about it. I want you. And I'm sure you want me too."_ _

__Harry nodded. He wants it as much as Draco does. Probably even more. "I do, Draco."_ _

__"We don't have to though, "Draco said softly just to make Harry realise they don't have to do it yet although his body was nearly shaking out of excitement. Today could be the day he loses his virginity and even better with his boyfriend. "If you're not ready or feel uncomfortable we don't have to."_ _

__"No, I do want you," Harry said firmly and hesitated, biting his lip. He flushed because of this thought about if Draco can...knows how to do it. It should be easy though. As Seamus said, it's a pole in the hole. "Do you know how to?"_ _

__"Yes," was all Draco could say and he smiled at Harry's sheepish smile. Merlin, he was so adorable yet so sexy. Draco's mouth was already open as he sealed his lips over Harry's and slid his tongue past Harry's teeth. The kiss grew harder still, and Harry nipped at Draco's lip, sharp enough to shock them both a little. It made Draco want to use his teeth, too, and he buried his face in Harry's neck, not even bothering to savour the salty tang of his skin before he sank his teeth in, making Harry cry out his arousal in a broken, gloriously defeated voice._ _

__Draco felt a hand jab between their bodies, worming its way down to their groins until it was stuck tight, sandwiched between them, with too little room to get a grip on anything. He bent his knees slightly, rubbing his erection against the back of Harry's hand, taunting him, groaning at the feel of knucklebones gouging into him, pressing harder and harder until Harry's hand was squashed flat against the long bulge of his own cock._ _

__Draco nuzzled Harry's ear with his nose before biting down on the tender flesh of his neck again, not hard enough to bruise like the last two love-bites, but enough that the teeth marks would be visible for anyone to see. He was past caring. Harry tasted too good, felt so good writhing up against him._ _

__Harry's constant mewling got Draco painfully hard. He finally gave in to his own impulse and moved his body away just enough to fumble with Harry's waistband of his pyjama pants and plunge his hand inside the waistband of his underwear. His cock was tacky with sweat, and Draco's hand stuck to it the instant he gripped it in the circle of his palm and tightened his fingers. Harry moaned his name, and Draco started to give him what he deserved._ _

__He squeezed Harry as he wanked him, trying for the umpteenth time to make the tips of his finger and thumb meet around the circumference of his hard penis, and drawing a hot, possessive flash of pleasure at his failure. Draco sensed movement from Harry and shifted his gaze to watch him try pulling his own pyjama shorts down. Oh, that will come soon dearest Harry._ _

__Draco watched the delicious meat of Harry's cock journey through his fist, faster and faster, getting wetter with every pass and he inhaled sharply, filling his lungs, scenting the smell of sex expanding between them, salivating at the insanely strong urge to lick Harry from head to toe. He watched as Harry grabbed his own balls, the way the tips of his fingers disappeared into the shiny mass of little black pubic curls as they dug in and twisted, making the sac bulge alarmingly under the violence of the touch. Watching that just made Draco wank him faster, straining against the muscles in his arm, forcing them to work harder._ _

__Harry's groans were addictive. Draco crashed his mouth back against Harry's, closing his eyes but still seeing the searing image of Harry groping himself projected on the insides of his eyelids. Harry was struggling to breathe. There was a very arousing hint of panic in his movements, and Draco tortured him all the more, devouring him with kisses, giving him no space to inhale._ _

__Harry was shuddering under his touch, collapsing against the headboard of his 4-poster bed for even the tiniest amount of support. Draco knew Harry was going to come. It was time to go in for the kill. He wedged a thigh into the small gap between Harry's legs, jamming Harry's hot hand and its precious contents against his body as he pinched his thumb and forefinger into the slippery-wet ridge beneath the broad flare of his glans and rubbed. He ignored the shaft, concentrating only on working the very end of Harry, rolling it firmly between his fingers, feeling it jerk enticingly, the vein pumping blood right to the very tip, making it swell, making Harry cry out for him. Draco felt all-powerful. He held Harry's orgasm in the palm of his hand, keeping it just out of reach, just for a few more seconds._ _

__When Harry's face was completely red, his lips quivering with incoherent moans, far, far past the ability to speak, Draco let him come. Harry's shout cut through the tinnitus ringing in his ears from the music, and the expression of pained relief shaping his features was something Draco would fantasise about for years to come. Harry convulsed; there was no other word for it. Draco was almost shocked by the aggression of Harry's orgasm, and even as his eyes memorised the gradual smoothing away of the tension in his face, he massaged Harry's steadily pumping come between his fingers, making them both slippery and sticky, and creating a breathtaking glide of flesh against flesh as they each slowed, Harry replete, Draco in sympathy._ _

__Harry seemed paralysed in his release, his muscles refusing to respond. Draco could read the languor in the slack set of Harry's mouth, and he felt a hot, wet flush of satisfaction ripple through his chest, centring in on his groin, making his balls throb. He seemed to watch himself from outside his body as he raised his wet hand to his mouth and licked his palm, tasting spunk and salty sweat, two perfectly complementary flavours together. He felt like he watched his own eyes flicker closed as he sucked each finger into his mouth, wrapping his tongue around the digit, sucking every last remnant of semen away, like swallowing the syrupy sweetness of a sugary treat, except that Harry tasted better than any confection._ _

__When he opened his eyes finally, Harry was watching him silently, intently. He kissed Harry, swallowing the high-pitched whimper of sustained desire that could have come from either one of them._ _

__Harry tasted him; tasted himself on Draco's lips, his tongue. Draco sensed the energy return to Harry, and he heard the faint scuffle of fabric as Harry tugged his jeans and underwear down past his feet and kicking them to the end of his bed, before feeling those same fingers reach out and touch him. They traced feather-light tracks up and down the stiff length of his cock, exploring the hot hollow between his thighs, where the seam of his trousers was abusing his testicles. His sigh was almost silent. It was just a slow exhalation of breath into Harry's mouth, but it described his condition more eloquently than a book full of words._ _

__Harry gently pushed Draco away from him, watching his face the entire time as he pushed his pyjama bottoms down until they were kicked off at his ankles. Draco felt warm, dry fingertips trace the circumference of the waistband on his underwear before they slid inside so slowly, easing them over the obstruction of his erection, and patiently guiding them down his thighs._ _

__The air in the bed was warm, but Draco had leaked so much that his shaft turned cold as the air caressed it. He looked into Harry's eyes and he knew; knew that it was time. It was time to feel Harry. To be inside of Harry. The shakiness from excitement came back to him. He couldn't wait any longer. He's been wanting Harry for a long time. Too long._ _

__Harry consciously spread his legs apart, and brought his knees up and out so his feet were flat against the mattress, knowing what was coming next. Or who would be coming inside him. He had a feverish flush tingeing his face, and had slightly panicked, lust-filled eyes which stared at the Slytherin._ _

__Draco widened his eyes a little in surprise, seeing Harry open himself up for him. It was bloody sexy, and he couldn't stop staring at Harry's arse, how round it was, how his butthole clenched and unclenched, and how it'll be his in a minute. Everything inside Draco's body was pounding or pulsing or clenching in torment, willing him to pounce on Harry and already give him pleasure._ _

__He didn't have any lubricant unfortunately so he would have to use natural liquids. He cupped his hands in front of Harry's face like a child wanting a cookie that their mother had just baked and said, "Spit on my hands, Harry." Harry quirked an eyebrow at him, and then smirked and did as he was told._ _

__Draco parted his lips again, thinking about how he could have come then from that sexy smirk Harry gave him. He had to forcefully blink and look away as he had a task to do. He spat in his own hand and rubbed their saliva together, then coated his cock's length and head with the bodily liquid._ _

__He looked back up at Harry and with the rest of the saliva, he smeared their mouth liquids over the soft skin of Harry's arse, stroked the rim of Harry's hole, before sinking a finger into his entrance. Harry shuddered all over and his eyes dropped closed, exhaling a deep, hungry sigh as Draco began to work him to readiness._ _

__Draco's heart hammered in his chest, his cock twitching wretchedly in its desire to know what it's like to be in that round ass of Harry's. He pumped his finger slowly, withdrawing it almost fully before sliding it forcefully in again. Soon enough a second finger had joined the first, and all of Harry's muscles twitched at the feel of this unfamiliar feeling._ _

__After a while, those fingers didn't seem so disturbing to Harry. It didn't exactly feel amazing, but neither bad. It felt... neutral, but still pleasurable because it was Draco in front of him. Draco who held him down and worked him open. And that made all the difference in the world. But then the Slytherin pulled his fingers out of Harry, added a third one and slammed back inside him. Harry cried out, not in pain but pleasure. Draco shushed him with a little kiss and is amused at what he can make Harry feel, and while he distracted Harry with that kiss, he pulled his fingers out._ _

__Harry actually felt devastated when Draco drew those delicate fingers out of him. It was like a bereavement, every muscle and nerve singing their tension, primed, and at the peak of arousal. At least, that was what Harry thought until Draco leaned away back below him and stared at him with a smile and that sexy predatory look._ _

__Draco was back to shaking with excitement, his heart thumping madly in his chest, and grinning at Harry with teeth. He couldn't wait any longer. He needs this so bad. He crawled his hands over to Harry's elbows, his knees inside Harry's stretched out legs, and pressed the head of his penis gently against Harry. He slipped inside while watching Harry's fevered, sweaty face, his eyes glittering and his lips parting in the most beautiful way. He bit his lip at this new feeling of Harry's tense, hot anus covering the head of his penis, and the beautiful moan coming from Harry's mouth. He marvelled at the strength of Harry's arse swallowing him up._ _

__Draco was barely in Harry and Harry felt full. He couldn't have moved, not for anything but only to wrap his legs around Draco's bottom to encourage him to do more. Anything more. Harry felt his body split in two in the most incredible, achingly beautiful way, as Draco slid another, then another inch inside, going so slowly, handling him like a fine china doll, worshipful and with immeasurable care. And fucking hell, don't stop, don't stop, don't stop._ _

__Draco gave Harry an affectionate little tug on his cock. "Did I hurt you, Harry?" he asked him softly, and when Harry shook his head, he took him further, prodding another couple of inches in until Harry felt like he could feel the tip of Draco in his chest. Draco pumped his hips slowly, sinking deeper inside and working at loosening the passage enough for him to glide in comfortably. He circled his hips and Harry's vision blacked out when a wave of lust crashed over him, leaving him breathless and sweaty, the surface of his body feeling like it was on fire._ _

__"Oh, Harry," came the heavy moan that took Draco a few seconds to figure out it was himself who made it. He slid into Harry carefully, withdrawing almost all the way before plunging firmly back in again. Before he knew it, his groin slapped up against Harry's buttocks, shocking a frantic groan from below. He managed out a smile as he has successfully lost his virginity with Harry._ _

__Draco's face loomed closer, applying more pressure to Harry's legs and squashing his body in two. Harry felt panicked. The limitations placed on his movements were a complete and utter turn on, and the way Draco had positioned him just so made every inward thrust feel like it was tearing him in two. It was fucking incredible. He was terrified Draco might stop._ _

__Draco's breath rushed across Harry's chest for a moment before his face veered away and buried itself in his neck. The added pressure of Draco stretching out over Harry made his cock sink an extra fraction of an inch inside, and Harry thrust upward for all he was worth, elated when he felt Draco's testicles slap lightly against him._ _

__Once he'd started, he didn't seem able to stop. Draco was slow at first, thrusting the length of his shaft in quickly, but taking a long time to pull it out again. He watched Harry struggle to control his body, trying to leave shaking and spasming, but failing. He leaned away just slightly to watch Harry's beautiful face as he fucked him with all he had. He wanted to just stare into Harry's eyes as they both rode the waves of pleasure together. He felt his cock push through the resistant, sticky flesh and heard his own skin slap against Harry's._ _

__"Don't stop," Harry whined. It was the best he could manage. "Please, Draco." Draco wanted nothing more than to comply and give Harry what he wants. And so he did._ _

__Draco stared down at Harry, his lips wet with saliva, his face flushed and excited. Harry forced his neck up, begging for a kiss. Draco didn't disappoint him. He just moved in hungrily and opened Harry's lips with the force of his own, sliding his tongue right in until Harry imagined he could feel it in the back of his throat._ _

__The violence of the kiss brought on a renewed vigour to their coupling, and Harry found himself being battered at both ends, not knowing which one he was getting off on more; they both felt so good. Draco's hands were hurting Harry's legs. There was pain in his cramped muscles, but nothing would have convinced him to ask for anything to change. He had Draco inside him, and the sounds of Draco all around him. It's all he wants._ _

__When Draco finally backed off and concentrated purely on pumping his hips in and out, Harry smiled and sighed, sated. Goodbye virginity. He lost it faster than any of his friends. Well, except Seamus and Dean. Whenever those two did it. That didn't matter anyway. Draco Malfoy, the most handsome boy in the entire world is inside him with that beautiful delicious cock filling his arse._ _

__"Please, harder," Harry breathed. "Draco, please. So good for me."_ _

__Draco found himself speeding up his thrusting until the smack-smack-smack of their flesh was heard around them. Just not outside the bed where Dean and Seamus were staring at Harry's closed bed, smirking, clearly seeing the bed moving back and forth like there were two people in that bed making love with each other. They were right about that. Neville was just reading silently, turned away from the bed, and Ron was already asleep with his hand over the side of the bed._ _

__Harry didn't need to ask for more; Draco wanted to give it. His cries and shouts matched Harry's as he channelled everything he had into pummelling into Harry's loosening hole. They lurched and thrust and strained together until their sweaty, sticky bodies were on the verge of collapse. Draco looked down into Harry's face, seeing the tension building, almost ready to explode. Good lord._ _

__"Oh," Draco gasped through heavily gritted teeth as he could feel Harry clench his arse over his dick, stopping him from being able to move in Harry. "Stop looking at me like that or I'm a goner. And stop tightening your bottom over me. You're suffocating my penis."_ _

__"I'm not doing anything," Harry told him with the cheekiest smile he could manage from the pleasure he was feeling, making sure he squeezed all the muscles right up inside him as tightly as he could, feeling incredibly smug when Draco's eyeballs rolled up into his head and his hips jerked forward, breaking his measured rhythm._ _

__"Dang it," Draco gasped. "Don't." He wants this to be slow. Wants their first time to be slow and not rushed. He wants to remember this as much as he can._ _

__Harry clamped his hole down all around Draco, not letting up as the thrusts continued, but more erratically. "Draco," he purred, rolling his hips the few fractions of an inch he could move within the restraining grip around his legs. "I love you," he murmured, letting his eyes close sluggishly until he could only see a blurry outline of Draco through the fuzz of his eyelashes._ _

__"I love you too," Draco ground out, his lips white and stretched as he fought himself. Harry watched his Draco's resolve crumble, his hips give way to frantic jerking, battering into him without care, making him feel loved, wanted. He did feel love and wanted and really happy. Strangely, all the sadness in him feels like it's being forced out of him like Draco's thrusts are like an Epecto Patronum to a dementor._ _

__Harry ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of his upper teeth. Draco's eyes watched its progress with a look of ravening hunger. "I want you," he breathed, arching his spine as best he could fascinated by the way the sheen of sweat on his chest caught and reflected white light._ _

__Draco's mouth dropped open and a groan came out that sounded like it had come from somewhere deep inside. He pounded into Harry so hard that the bed rattled, and Harry just laughed and stuck his backside out as far as he could, egging Draco on to do his worst and keep going. Then, Harry let out one bellow that was louder than the others and a thick, white arc of semen sped out of his slit and fell across his chest._ _

__"I love you," Draco gasped, the look on his face almost pleading Harry to believe him as if there might be the slightest flicker of doubt. But there wasn't. He loved Harry with all his heart, body, and soul. The sight of Harry's spine arched painfully up off the mattress did Draco in._ _

__"Draco," Harry sighed, and that was when Draco came. His body went rigid, and his neck corded with the strain. His orgasm roared through his body, drawing every last drop of strength with it, snapping his head back with its violence. He felt the hot wetness in Harry's hole, his lessening thrusts working the come along the length of his shaft until he was gliding slowly in a beautiful, gently pulsing passage, milking the very last sensations from his shattering completion._ _

__But the sexiest part by far was getting to watch Draco's face melt from frustrated agony to exultant bliss. He was just so beautiful when that happened. As the thrusts became less and less energetic, he finally allowed Harry's legs to unfold, but slowly, giving them time to stretch out and relearn how to move._ _

__God. Harry knew he is going to feel this tomorrow. He winced and hissed as his legs dropped, and Draco made an apologetic moan, doing his best to help, even as his slippery wet cock dropped out of Harry. He drew comfort from the thought of Draco's sperm swimming around in his arse, filling his body._ _

__Draco leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to Harry's lips before rolling to the side of him with a happy sigh. He snaked an arm around Harry's stomach and twined their legs together. He smiled and leaned his head on Harry's shoulder, looking up at his exhausted boyfriends face. "That was truly amazing, Harry," he said while his feet dug into the covers and sheets of Harry's bed, trying to find warmth. "Thank you for this wonderful night."_ _

__"Merlin, I'm so going to feel this in the morning," Harry mumbled, snuggling up to Draco and wrapping an arm around him while Draco chuckles at the true realization. "And yes, it was an incredible experience." He reached his free hand up and pushed a sweaty strand of Draco's hair out of his eyes. "Is this your first time?" he asked with a tired smile._ _

__Draco nodded. "Why would someone want to lose their virginity at 13, Harry?" he asked him with a smirk, sounding a little awkward by that thought. "It's a little too young, don't you think? And yes, crushes do start then but nothing really sexual. I've never been with anyone before you. You know that, and I don't just go around and shag anyone I want. There has been nobody besides you that I want. I keep my virginity to myself until I find the right person, which I have found as it is you." He could still feel his dick vibrate from the shagging they just experiences minutes ago. The incredible feeling which he will never forget. "How about you?"_ _

__"Yes," Harry said with a yawn. God, he feels so tired. It's like sex drains your energy. It probably does actually. His body was sending his brain all sorts of happy messages. The cotton sheets felt cold against his feet, so he leaned forward and dragged the duvet and sheets up from the foot of the bed to help him and Draco get warmer quicker. "Thank you for making this happen. This was my first and hopefully not my last time."_ _

__"Well, that can be arranged," Draco said with a smirk at the answer he got and kissed his raven-haired boyfriend's cheek softly. He rubbed his own cheek over Harry's and sighed at the scent he was smelling. It was the scent of sex. The scent of Harry after sex with him._ _

__Harry felt himself blush and he ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more to Draco's longing amusement. The thought of telling Hermione about this crossed his mind but he thought that he shouldn't say anything until a few months ahead. "So, how did you know how to... you know?" he asked awkwardly with a crooked smile._ _

__Draco kissed the crooked smile away and replaced it with an actual beautiful smile that he loves seeing every day. He leaned away from Harry's face, raising a hand to caress Harry's cheek and said, "I did my research." He yawned, as yawns are highly contagious. Thanks a lot, Harry._ _

__Harry chuckled; knowing who would have told Draco about how to do the do. It was obviously Ivy. But how would she know if she's a lesbian? Unless she has other gay friends that are her age. "It was Ivy that told you, wasn't it?"_ _

__Draco nodded with a long sigh. Ivy always has the answers to his questions whether it's about dating, school work, or even sex. It's like having an older sister who knows more about life than even his parents do. "Yes, but I also put two and two together," he told Harry with a smile and looked up at the ceiling of Harry's 4-poster bed. "She's like a sister to me, Harry. She has the answers to all my questions."_ _

__"Oh," said Harry with a nod of understanding. He knew a little about how to have sex with a guy because...well, he just knows how to. It's Pole in the hole, as Seamus described it as. He yawned and moved the duvet above his shoulders, loving the warmth of not only the blankets but the warmth radiating from Draco. He felt like he was home._ _

__Draco smiled at his sleepy Gryffindor boyfriend and pulled him closer. "Go to sleep, Harry," he says with a quiet voice and presses a kiss to Harry's forehead. "I'll see you in the morning when you wake up." Harry only gave him a quiet "Mhmm" before they both fell asleep in each other's arms._ _

__*****_ _

__Harry woke up with a hiss of pain; he realised he had a very sore ass. He wondered if it was because Draco didn't use any lube when shagging him last night. Last night. The memories flooded through his brain. It was simply a blissful night. He smiled and looked down at Draco, with tousled hair, who locked eyes with him. "Good morning, Draco," he says tiredly, reaching his hand down to the blonde and caressed his cheek. "How are you this wonderful morning?"_ _

__"I'm wonderful now that I'm looking at your gorgeous face," Draco says with a tired smirk and raises his hands up to cup Harry's face. And when he watched a red tinge rise from Harry's neck up to those pretty cheeks of his boyfriend, he says, "Now give your boyfriend a morning kiss."_ _

__Harry could never say no to his boyfriend, even if he didn't say please. He studies Draco's face before stealing the morning kiss he craved. These were gentle, feather-light kisses that lit up Harry's insides and made his whole body throb in appreciation of the subtle stimulation they experienced last night. As they kissed, Draco rubbed circles on Harry's temple with a fingertip. "I love you," he says as he leans away from the kiss for a minute while he ran his index finger over the slight puffiness of Draco's bottom lip._ _

__"I love you too, Harry," Draco says sweetly, smiling and pressed a kiss to Harry's wandering finger. "Shall we get dressed and head down to breakfast or stay here, relax with each other in bed, and have a late breakfast in the kitchens?"_ _

__"Well first we need to get you back to the Slytherin boys dormitory so you can get into your school uniform and Slytherin robe," Harry reminded him and gave him another kiss but quick. He leaned away, gets out of the sheets and duvet and reached for his boxers. He slipped them on, clenching his teeth from the sudden pain, moved the drapes slightly to the side and quickly slipped out from his bed. "Oh, hello." He tried not to wince or make any gesture that he was in pain right now. Well, his arse._ _

__Dean gives him a half-smile, knowing what happened in Harry's bed but he could tell it was Harry's first time just by his forced breathing. He won't tell anyone though. Neither will Seamus. Harry better tell him all about his experience when the Slytherin's out of the room. "Hello, Harry. Did you have fun last night?" he asked his dormmate with a wink._ _

__Harry felt himself blush and rub the back of his neck awkwardly. His blush was a raw red colour, flaming hot enough to make his skin at least red. But it didn't. He didn't think his dormmate knew of his sexual experience with Draco. Unless he had ears that could hear through privacy and sound charms. "It was...err... really fun," he told him, looking down at the floor. He forgot that he was only dressed in his boxers so he turned to his trunk and fished out his school uniform._ _

__"Are you a top or a bottom?" Dean had to ask Harry as he held a bet with Seamus ages ago when they found out Harry had had his first blowjob with Draco. It was worth 5 galleons which he hoped Harry won't let him down._ _

__This just made Harry feel even more so awkward and it made Harry struggle to pull his uniform pants up. Should telling a fellow male about his sexual experience be this difficult? Did he even want to tell Dean? "Um... I was bottoming," he said with a sheepish smile as he put his long sleeve white shirt on and put his tie around his neck, the ends hanging by his chest. He looks back to his right at his bed and sees Draco's head poking out from the red drapes, watching him dress and hearing the conversation._ _

__He smiles at his boyfriend and goes around the side of his bed, looking into his bed through the red drapes and seeing Draco getting dressed into his green silk pyjamas. "Ready for the trip down to the Slytherin dungeons, my love?"_ _

__Draco hesitates for a minute, and he nervously bites his lip and shakes his head. "I don't want to embarrass myself by walking the corridors in my pyjamas and risk being laughed at by all the students of Hogwarts," he says as he rubs at his legs, not wanting to leave Harry's bed at all._ _

__"You don't have to," Harry says matter of factly and when he sees Draco open his mouth to speak, he presses his lips to the Slytherin's to shut him up but it meant the world to Draco with just the soft brush of Harry's lips on his own. He leaned away, pressing his lips together as to savour the kiss. He leaned away from the bed and disappeared from Draco's sight only to come back with Harry's invisibility cloak. "Wear this as we go to your common room."_ _

__Draco nods as he covers himself with the invisibility cloak and steps out of Harry's bed, looking around and seeing Weasel, Finnegan, and Longbottom's bed empty but Dean Thomas sitting on his bed accompanied with Seamus Finnegan, snogging each other open-mouthed. He smirks at them, looks down at Harry's hand but sees Harry's not exactly ready. He sighs, takes off the cloak, and fixes up Harry's shirt, collar and does Harry's tie for him. Smiling with satisfaction about how smart he made Harry, he pulled the cloak on over himself and intertwines Harry's hand with his._ _

__"Are you done yet?" Harry asks him, smirking at the spot his boyfriend disappeared to under his cloak. When he heard a silent "yes" from beside him, he just smiled and headed out of the dormitory with Draco beside him under the cloak. They rushed out of the common room, Harry doing his best not to make it obvious to Draco that his arse was sore every time he moved, and down to the Slytherin dungeons. Harry stared at the entrance, not knowing the password as Draco hasn't told him yet._ _

__"Red boletus," Draco then says, and the entrance to the common room appears. He pulls Harry in, ignoring everyone in the room, and heads to the 4th boy's dormitory. When inside, Draco looks around first for three particular Slytherin's and when he doesn't see them, he lets Harry inside. He goes to his trunk after giving Harry the cloak back, and he pulls out his uniform and Slytherin robe._ _

__He gets dressed, feeling Harry's eyes on him which makes him smirk. He looks over at Harry after putting on his uniform and is currently doing his tie. "Let's go down to breakfast, Harry." Harry gave him a nod and after the Slytherin put his robe on, they headed to breakfast after hiding the cloak in Draco's trunk._ _

__They walked into the Great Hall together and headed for the Slytherin table. Draco had no problem sitting down. It was Harry who found it tough to. He bit down on his lip, probably hard enough to draw blood, and sat down next to Draco. "I didn't go too hard on you right?" the Slytherin whispered to Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he had sex with Draco. And his arse is on fire because of Draco. He doesn't mind it though._ _

__"So, where have you two been all night?" Pansy asked the two boys who happened to come into the Great Hall together like they've been together all night. She narrowed her eyes and squinted at them suspiciously. "We never saw you come into the common room last night. We're very suspicious of you two."_ _

__"We had an early night," Draco told them easily, giving them hard smiles for their suspicion. "And Harry and I got up early so he could meet me down at the lake for an early breakfast date filled with croissants and bagels. We didn't want our date to be too later on in the day because we know you two-" he pointed two delicate fingers at Ivy and Pansy, "-will get highly curious of us and decide to search for us when all Harry and I want is peace."_ _

__"That is true about us," Ivy said with a toothy grin, and she gave Pansy a gentle elbow on the side. "We like knowing where you two head off to. You should have told us about the date though. It would save us from worrying about your arses in the future so we don't get the teachers into organizing a search party."_ _

__"I was hoping to organize another date for us soon," Draco said as he looked beside him at Harry, smiling as he dished himself and Harry a bowl of porridge with honey mixed in. "Somewhere nice, romantic, where we haven't been before. What do you think, Harry?"_ _

__"It sounds wonderful," Harry says softly, and as Draco lifts his chin up with two fingers, he leans forward for a kiss. Draco's hands slid carefully up to cup Harry's cheeks instead, framing his face as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Harry felt Draco's thumbs caress the hollows in his cheeks that appeared when he worked his jaw, and he sighed at the tenderness in the touch._ _

__Under the warm press of Draco's palms, Harry's facial movements stilled until their kisses were chaste and soft; just slow, doting pecks across each other's cheeks, and the corners of their mouths. At that moment, Harry's heart pounded with something warm, and tingling and harmonious. It was wonderful, this being in love. Parting the kiss after that was difficult, but they did it because there was no other choice as they had to breathe and eat._ _

__They began eating their porridge in silence but Blaise kept giving Draco suspicious glances here and there. He knows something's up and that Draco's hiding something. He's been his roommate and best friend since they both started Hogwarts. So what's his best friend hiding?_ _

__Eventually, when they finished eating, they had to go to class together. It was a shame they had different classes though. Harry had Divination while Draco had Transfiguration. But they still had time to spend together before classes start. With goodbyes to Pansy, Ivy, and Blaise, they got up from the table, Harry giving a soft grunt from the sudden pain but smiling like it was nothing, and they headed to the Library's Secret room._ _

__They stayed in the LSB, what they call the 'Library Secret Room' for short, for the rest of their morning until they had ten minutes until class. They departed ways with a lingering kiss goodbye, Harry going to Divination while Draco goes to Transfigurations. But before Draco went to class, he made a quick pit stop to the owlery to sent his mother a letter about the exciting news._ _

___Dear mother, _  
_How are you? How's your week been? How's my father? _  
_I'm doing just wonderful if you wanted to know. This is a short letter as I don't have enough time writing a full one. I promise I'll write a longer letter soon. But I'm writing this to tell you I've had sex for the first time with Harry! It was an incredible experience which I hope won't be my last. But from me and Harry's past experiences with pleasuring each other, I know it won't be our last. Harry and I haven't told anyone about our first time besides two of Harry's Gryffindor dormmates. Can't wait to hear back from you! _  
_Love, Draco ___


	20. A Ghostly Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember Remus' wise words.
> 
> "Eat. You'll feel better"
> 
> 😂

Harry woke up yet again from another nightmare. It was the same one that he always has with that green light in the end. He did his regular breathing exercise like the last time when he feels a panic attack coming on, breathing in for four seconds, hold for seven seconds and breathing out for eight seconds.

He was drenched in sweat as well as his own bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, grabbed his glasses off the bedside table, grabbed his wand and cast a quick cleaning charm on the bed and in a second, the bed was sweat-free.

He really did not feel like getting up at all today, or even interacting with people. He zoned out, remembering the times he has been with Draco. The hugging. The kissing. The snuggling. The sex. How Draco makes him feel loved, how he flushes the sadness out of him.

The other Gryffindor's finished getting ready and headed out while Harry just lay there pretending to be asleep. Dean noticed Harry's eyes were open and staring blankly at the floor like he was a dead man. He grew worried for his fellow Gryffindor. He was too sleepy to actually notice anything strange except a frown, he just thought he was seeing things. "Harry, turn that frown upside down," he said sleepily as he put on his tie and tied it into a full Windsor knot.

Harry gave Dean the best possible fake smile he could ever-present, which turned out that it wasn't very big. "I'm fine, really," he said half-heartedly, finding it hard just to look over at his dormmate when it should be so easy. "Thanks for asking..."

Dean blinked at the boy, he was finally coming out of his tired state as he rubbed at his eyes. "It's no problem, Harry." He sounded concerned and his eyebrows were furrowed worriedly as he still saw the frown on Harry's face.

Harry nodded at his fellow Gryffindor. Right now, he just needed to escape and cut. He sluggishly pulled himself out of bed. Groaning, he felt like his body was made of led. After waiting quite a long time, Dean had finally left the room, leaving Harry alone so he could get dressed in peace.

Harry headed out of the room and made his way down to Myrtle's bathroom. But as he entered through to the common room, he heard Hermione call for him. He turned around reluctantly and noticed that Hermione had been reading a book. He could not see what she was reading but it had a black cover.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione said, beaming at him though she still had her nose glued into her book. She was reading 'The Lord of the Rings'. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Harry forced a smile, hoping it was enough for her to believe. "Yeah," he said dazedly and wished he was back up in his room, sleeping the week away. "I slept fine."

Hermione looked as if she didn't believe Harry, but she didn't leave a comment about it. "Harry?" she asked softly, bookmarked the page in her book and put it down on her lap, closed. "Are you alright?"

"So, how are you and Pansy?" Harry neatly avoided the question. He really was not sure what to say to her. He wasn't okay, but there was no way he would say anything to her that would be concerning.

Hermione suddenly blushed as she hid her face in back her book, but the blush seemed to run further up her face so Harry could see. "Oh, she's great," she said with a shy smile.

"And how are you?" Harry asked her, forcing himself to chuckle a bit at the response he got from her. He wondered if Hermione and Pansy are mutual friends or even more. That would be nice to see, his best friend being loved by someone.

Hermione sighed brightly and looked at the ground where Trevor, Neville's frog, sat. How did he even get out? "Brilliant!" she said, smiling. She paused and smiled at him knowingly, "Have you had a first date with Draco yet? Or your second, third, fourth and so on?"

Harry nodded at her and suddenly he felt a little better at the mention of his boyfriend who makes his stomach flutter every time Draco walks into a room, who makes his heart hammer against his chest when he's kissing, hugging, or having the time of his life with Draco.

Hermione squealed happily and cupped her mouth with a wide grin. "Tell me everything!" she asked of him at once.

Harry told her everything that happened between him and Draco on their first date under the Willow tree and their most recent date which was a week ago. He didn't tell her about Ivy's suicide attempt because he didn't want to worry Hermione and apply more pressure on Ivy. He told her about a muggle garden, but not the one in Hogwarts because that will stay between Draco, him, and Ivy. He told Hermione what happened in the garden and obviously, he told her what actually happened with the kisses, the birds bringing the food, the pond and the gazebo.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said dreamily with a soft smile and a hand over her heart. It's the most romantic thing she's ever heard of. "That all sounds so romantic. Have anything else to tell me?"

"I guess so," Harry said tiredly with a slow nod. It was really romantic, the dates, and he loved every minute of them. "I meant the romantic part. Nothing else has happened. But Draco did say he's planning another date for me and him."

"Well, in a week is Hogsmeade weekend," Hermione reminded him, trying to get Harry to think about what this means for him. In case he didn't know it meant date time. "So, you can take your prince charming there for the next date." She wriggling her eyebrows playfully at him.

Harry blushed at that thought of going to Hogsmeade hand in hand with Draco and showing the world that Draco is his and his only. It sounds amazing but he doesn't know if Draco wants that. He must think about Draco's feelings other than his own. "The problem is that Draco doesn't want Crabbe, Goyle or Nott to know about me and him together." He sighed miserably, looked up at the window looking out to the castle grounds. "We've been keeping it a secret from those three since we got together."

"Oh, I see," Hermione said and looked back up to Harry sadly. "But you guys were snogging in front of everyone in Hogwarts during breakfast the other day," she said as a smile formed on her lips from that memory. "I'm sure people told their parents already."

Harry frowned and stared at the floor. He felt like everything was his fault. If he never got together with Draco this wouldn't be happening. Draco wouldn't have to sneak around if they do go to Hogsmeade together. He wouldn't have to worry about his father.

Hermione also frowned, she hated seeing her best friend so sad. It's like he was regretting something. "It won't be too bad Harry," she told him reassuringly. "Besides, I'm sure their parents won't believe them."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said to her, still staring blankly at the floor in front of him. He understands that Draco's better off without him. He's just a freak who cuts himself, who's a slave, who doesn't deserve such good friends and a boyfriend. He doesn't deserve any of it.

"Well, I'm so glad you told me about the relationship you and Draco have," Hermione began. "I am so happy you have sorted your rivalry aside and have begun something new with him. I hope you and Draco have the happiest time together, whether there are fights or not. But fights are healthy in a relationship. Just not too many. You belong together. You're like two peas in a pod, inseparable."

"Thanks again, Hermione," Harry said as he forced another smile at her. He didn't believe him at all. He doesn't deserve someone so incredible and beautiful like Draco.

"You and Malfoy?" said a disapproved, disgusted tone of voice from behind them. It was like the person hasn't seen Harry and Draco kissing at all. It's like they were just born today.

Harry saw Hermione look up behind him, so he turned his head around in a flash to look up at a displeased Ron. "How much did you hear?" he asked him slowly, wanting to know what the fuck Ron wanted and why his so-called best mate was here.

"About the whole thing," Ron said while crossing his arms over his chest and leaned lazily on the wall beside him. "Just letting you know I don't mind your relationship with him. And that I'm sorry for what I've said to you." Without another word, he left them be and walked out of the common room.

Harry looked over at Hermione and she saw his reaction and came over to him. She gave him a big hug and reassured him that everything will be okay. "At least he apologized," she told him softly. "And he doesn't seem to mind that you're with Draco."

Harry felt just the tiniest bit of relief that Ron said that but it still hurt as Ron had still told him he was a faggot months ago. Even Hermione's hugs didn't help him. He told her he was going to the bathroom, which was not a lie because he made his way to Moaning Myrtles Bathroom.

When he got inside Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, he scanned the bathroom and didn't see anybody else. Well, who would be down here? Good. He needs to be alone. He paced around the room, feeling rushes of anxiety course through him from the dream he had last night and the knowledge that Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe could be doing anything to Draco right now. He hoped Blaise was with Draco.

Harry stopped pacing. He knew what he had to do next. He knew what could calm him down. He walked over to the bathroom cupboards and opened one of them up, grabbed the empty green tin and removed the ward around the tin to open it. Then he tipped the tin upside down and watched the blade fall into his hand.

He stood over the sink with the blade in his hand, rolled up his left robe sleeve to reveal the cuts from days, weeks and months ago. He sliced the blade across his arm where no previous cuts lay and hissed with pain. He needed this, he wants this, he deserves this.

Harry slid the blade across his arm again, and again and again until he made five cuts. He placed the blade down on the sink and watched his scarlet blood form in his new cuts. He watched as the blood slid down his arms and dropped droplets onto his robes which thankfully were black.

He then felt guilty because of Draco and how he knows much he loves him. How he kisses him and oh, how he wants to be kissed and touched by him every single minute of every single hour. He doesn't want Draco to worry about him. I love him, he thought. But he doesn't deserve to be loved by Draco as Draco deserves so much better than a depressed little git like himself.

But this was necessary. Harry believes he deserves to have pain, he deserves to be in pain. He doesn't deserve to be loved; he deserves to be lonely. He doesn't deserve to have friends. Sometimes, he wants attention, but does that make him an attention seeker? These are even more reasons for him to be lonely and in pain. He wants to be in more pain.

He rolled up his other sleeve on his right arm and looked down at his bare right arm with a few cuts here and there. He grabbed the blade with his left hand and began to cut on his right arm. First cut, second cut, third cut and fourth cut. As he cut for the fifth, it was the deepest and stung the most. He liked this pain, even though it stung the most. He deserves it for being an attention-seeking git.

Suddenly Harry heard something from across the bathroom. He quickly rolled down his sleeves and whipped his head around to see where the noise came from. He didn't see anybody or anything until he heard a familiar moan from a particular ghost. "Moaning Myrtle?"

Moaning Myrtle came out from her cubicle, looking all sad and mopey like she usually does. "Oh, Harry!" she sobbed and floated over to him, wiping the ghostly tears from her dead eyes. "We never had any of those back when I was alive."

Harry looked at the ghost girl and wondered what was wrong with her emotionally. But he knew. She was dead. Then he started to panic. Either she will tell someone about his problem, or she'll let it go.

"What are those sharp objects?" Myrtle asked him as she was looking down at the blade that looked extremely sharp. If only she was alive again then she can know how sharp that looks to her. She suddenly wanted to feel the blade cutting into her skin like she has done when she was alive.

"They are blades," Harry told her shyly while he toyed with the blade with his fingers. But he was careful so he doesn't cut his fingers and risk having to go to the Hospital Wing to see Madam Pomfrey to get it fixed. Even if it was a small scratch. "They come off a shaver."

"Oh!" said Myrtle as she floats towards him, feeling more intrigued by the minute in this conversation. "Our shavers were very blunt. They couldn't even shave armpit hair if you used it. Well, they could but it was hard to."

Harry felt a little awkward in this conversation when talking about shavers and armpits. Especially to another person. A dead person. "Okay?" he said, wanting to get away from this situation and her as he did not actually know how to reply to her. He

"By the way," she floated closer to him and sat down beside him on the floor. "Are you okay? That thing you did with the razor on your arm is not what normal people do these days." She gave him a mock brow as she floated up and down in her seated position.

"Um... It's fine," Harry told her, pushing the blade onto his thumb. "There is nothing to be worried about." He looked ahead of him at the door, wondering if he should get up and escape. "Anyway... I should get going down to breakfast." He stood up and placed his blade back in the tin. He spelled it shut, put it back in the cupboard, cleaned off his arm and headed down to the common room to go to the Great Hall.

He made his way out of the Gryffindor common room, feeling the familiar numbness after cutting. He liked this numb feeling, of course; it meant any other emotions were blocked by the numb haze. While he walked down the hallway towards the great hall, he heard footsteps running towards him from behind and a familiar voice shouting "Harry!" He spun around slowly and met the familiar beautiful silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. "Oh, hello Draco," I said tiredly.

Draco slowed down to a halt in front of Harry and looked into his Emerald Green eyes. His eyes looked so lost to the world and empty. Such a familiar look. "Hello, my darling Harry," he said and grew worried for his boyfriend's mental state. "Are you okay?"

Oh, great. This is not the day. Harry can't let Draco find out about what he had done to himself. Play it safe, Harry. Just say you're fine. Yes, just say that. But then again, he knew he shouldn't say 'I'm fine' because when people say they are fine, they really aren't. Oh, but how those beautiful eyes stare at him with concern. He just wants to snuggle up to him, cuddle, kiss him, and cry onto him. "Uhm... Yes. I'm f- I'm Alright. Just tired."

Draco furrowed his eyebrow worriedly. He knew Harry wasn't telling the whole truth and that made him feel a little disappointed. He wanted Harry to tell him what's wrong so he can help him. "Okay, as long as your alright, then I'm happy," he said as he leaned forward and kissed Harry on the cheek.

All he knows is that Harry's treated like a house-elf at home. But with his own research, it appears that either the Dursleys don't feed Harry or Harry starves himself. Not to mention the bruises on Harry's back he found months ago but healed. It just makes sense. Harry gets abused by those relatives of his. If he ever sees Harry's relatives he will get his father to sue them. Or even better. Send them to prison.

Harry looked away in shame but held onto the kiss Draco gave him with everything he had. He felt himself blush from the kiss and he had to look down at the floor. He hated lying to Draco, but there was no way he could tell him what was wrong. He was stuck feeling like an idiot for keeping things from Draco.

Draco intertwined his and Harry's hands together and smiled at his adorable raven-haired boyfriend when he saw the blush on those cheeks he likes to kiss. He would kiss those cheeks every second so he can see that beautiful blush."Come on, let's head down for breakfast."

Harry nodded and gave Draco a forced smile. "Alright," he said as he looked down at the floor again. He wasn't really hungry, so he let Draco take him down to the Grand Hall. As they walked on and on through the corridors of the school, they saw a few students on rollerblades and scooters racing each other through the hallways. Harry knew what rollerblades and scooters are but Draco didn't. Harry also knew they were muggle-borns and half-bloods who owned those muggle contraptions because of what Pureblood would know of muggle items. Besides Ivy, of course.

Harry and Draco separated their entwined hands and went to the Slytherin table together once they walked into the Great Hall together. The whole Hall smelt of pastries, honey, and vegetables. The breakfasts served on each Hogwarts tables was a mixture of normal English breakfasts and Bulgarian breakfasts.

Pansy looked up at the two and smiled. She had a Mekitsa pastry in her hand which is a popular Bulgarian breakfast that consists of flatbread made with kneaded dough that is then deep-fried in hot oil. "Well, good morning, Harry and Draco," she said to the two in a bubbly voice. "How was everyone's night?"

Draco and Harry both sat down on the other side of Pansy, facing her. Harry looked over at Pansy with that forced smile. At least he's not being ignored. That's something that he hopes won't ever happen to him. He wouldn't be able to take it. "Morning Pansy, my night was fine thank you."

Draco looked over at Harry with an eyebrow raised, knowing the 'I'm fine' lie like his cousin uses. It's easy to tell when Harry's lying about his real feelings. He then looked back to Pansy and while he did so he gave Harry's hand a squeeze from under the table. "Mine was alright," he told her as he reached over to grab the same pastry Pansy had in her hands. "I got enough sleep to last a whole week."

Suddenly, Hermione dropped right next to Harry on the chair and smiled at everyone around her who is close friends with Pansy. "Hello, everyone," she said with a cheerful smile, and then looks over at Pansy who's checking out her nails.

Harry nearly fell off the chair as Hermione had startled him, but he managed to calm himself down from getting a panic attack. How can he warn her that panic attacks to him are common? Only when he gets scared. He gave her a weak smile and said, "Hey, Hermione."

Draco looked up at Pansy who he catches staring at Granger, then to Granger whose staring at Pansy, then back to Pansy again. "Oh my, and what do we have here?" he asked his best friend with a smirk. "Are you two dating? Pansy, how come you never told me?" He made his voice sound a little hurt. "I thought friends aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other."

Pansy and Hermione both blushed as they looked away from each other. "No," Pansy said as she shook her head. Although she wished it was true. "We're not dating, yet." She gave Hermione a little wink just to tell her she definitely wants to get with her. She has been giving Hermione hints ever since the Yule Ball.

Hermione felt a blush rise and she smiled down at her plate which she then decides to fill up with Banista which also originates from Bulgaria. It's made by layering sheets of buttered phyllo pastry with a combination of eggs, yogurt, and cheese such as sirene and feta. "Well, we could make it happen, Pansy," she said shyly and folded her hair behind her ears. "How about Saturday? You and me, Hogsmeade together."

Draco looked up at Granger in surprise, never expecting her to be the one to ask Pansy out first. He always thought it would be Pansy who asks out Granger. Not the other way around. He knows Pansy. She will always do things first before the other and get things done. He looks beside him at Harry again and frowns when seeing Harry just staring at the empty plate in front of him. He wanted to help him but didn't know how except give him all the love and attention he can.

Pansy looked up at Hermione in surprise and gave her a smirk. She likes where this is going. "Sounds like a date," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at her but then noticed Ivy wasn't around so then she looked at Draco. "Draco, where's Ivy? I haven't seen her since yesterday when we were doing homework together in the common room."

Draco looked through the crowds of the Grand Hall then back at Pansy with worry. He could see the concern on her face and knew he looked concerned for his cousin's. Where was Ivy? "U-um... I'm not too sure."

Harry looked up at Draco, hoping the worse would not come. He too hoped Ivy was somewhere okay and away from sharp blades. "Do you want to go look for her?" he asked him softly, raising his hand to put on Draco's shoulder. "We can do this before classes start."

Draco nodded and grabbed an apple from the breakfast basket and got up. But as he knew Harry hadn't eaten anything, he grabbed a Manista and a Mekitsa for Harry and gave them to him. "You need to eat, Harry," he told him carefully but as an order. "You need your energy for today."

Harry nodded and followed him, leaving a flirting Pansy and Hermione alone at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall as he begins to slowly eat the Bulgarian breakfast pastries for Draco. He followed Draco down into the Slytherin Dungeons.

Draco stopped at a portrait and said, "Magnus Serpens" and a familiar tunnel appeared. This was leading into the Slytherin common room which they went into. Luckily there were no students around. They ended up at the back of the common room in Draco, Pansy, and Ivy's spot where they finally spot her, eyeing her self-harm scars from a week ago.

Draco looked over at Ivy. He was startled at the sight of her cuts showing in the candle chandelier light of the common room even though he sees her before. "Ivy?" he asked with concern, tilting his head to the side. "Are you okay?"

"Yes?" Ivy said and shot her head around to look at the boys who walked over to her. She pulled her sleeves down past her wrists so they couldn't see anything but she could sense their worry. "Oh, hello Draco and Harry. No, I'm not okay. I have the urge to... you know?"

Draco nodded at what she wanted to do. It saddened him when knowing the potion Madam Pomfrey gave her had worn off. He wouldn't give it to her again as he doesn't want to drug her with it just so she seems happy. "Oh, Ivy," he said softly, walking to the side of her and giving her a warm side hug. "Do you want help?"

Ivy nodded sadly. She wants this pain to go away. It's all she wants. This pain is all because of her damn mother who she dislikes with all her heart. "I'd do anything to not feel this horrid pain ever again," she told them in a shaky voice. "Pain can go die in a hole for all I care. It can go back to hell where the pain originates from."

Draco ended to hug and looked into Ivy's blue eyes which he knows are fake. But if they are fake how can he see the emptiness in them? "Alright," he said and knew what he had to do and how to help her. "How about I book you in for a psychiatrist appointment at St Mungo's mental Health Ward?"

Harry watched the sisterly brotherly bond between Ivy and Draco. Even if they were cousins, they seemed to get along quite well. He wished he had a sibling, or even his own mother and father alive but no. What luck does he have? None.

Ivy nodded again and looked into her cousin's eyes. She's never had a psychiatrist before. The thought excited her even if it means she had to talk about her feelings and what she's been through. "Sure, I guess," she said, agreeing to this idea. "I'll give it a go. But if I don't like it-"

Draco interrupted her with a reassuring smile, "You will like it, I promise you. It might be hard at first since you'll be speaking to an older person about what you go through, but it is worth it. It's good to talk about these things instead of bottling it up inside."

Ivy then threw her arms around Draco for a hug, feeling her eyes fill with tears and run down her cheeks. "I love you, brother," she sobbed into his shoulder and couldn't believe how lucky she is to have Draco as a cousin. "Thank you for doing this for me. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done."

Draco smiled in his cousin's hug and he tightened his grip on her like she could disappear in a matter of seconds and minutes. "I love you too, sister," he told her honestly. "Let it all out. Let your emotions lose out into the air. Don't bottle it up."

Ivy let go of the hug after a few minutes of sobbing into his shoulder. She leaned away and rubbed the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her school jumper. "When will the appointment be?" she asked him gently with a little smile.

"Anytime," Draco said and reached up to place a hand on her shoulder. "Just pick a date and time and I will arrange it for you. I promise this will help you. I know it would. I did my research."

Ivy looked up at her cousin, giving him an incredulous look. "You'd do that for me?" she asked him, her eyebrows furrowing in disbelief yet she knew Draco would come up with something like this just to get her better.

Draco nodded with a smile. Why wouldn't he do something about Ivy's state? He'd do it for Harry too. In fact, he wanted to take Harry with him and Ivy so Harry could have his own therapy appointment with a professional. "Of course, I would! You're my sister."

Ivy smiled at her cousin, thanking the heavens that she had him to look after her. Or for her to look after him. She's blessed with such an amazing cousin and such amazing friends. "How about Monday after the Hogsmeade weekend at around 3 in the afternoon?" she suggested. "I'll be studying for my tests before the Hogsmeade trip, and even after during the morning so I get the afternoon off."

"Sure thing, I will arrange the appointment once I can," Draco promised her, dropping his hand from her shoulder and entwined it with Harry's hand. He smiled and looked beside him at his boyfriend. He leaned forward and gave him a little kiss on the cheek to just try and make Harry feel a little better. "Now, we need to go. Be safe my sister."

Harry began to blush from the kiss Draco gave him. How could he not blush? Draco's kisses always lit him up from the inside with a spark. Then he let out a yawn, which he really should have kept inside because now Draco chuckled at him which made his blush a little darker in colour.

"Didn't get enough sleep?" Ivy asked Harry softly, smiling at her cousins' tired boyfriend. When Harry nodded, she gave him a nod back, understanding what it is like to not get enough sleep. It sucks and she knows it. The only times she does get enough sleep is after sex with a girl or after reading a book with more than five hundred pages.

"I wish to stay with you more and chat but Harry and I have to get to Potion's before Professor Snape arrives," Draco told his cousin carefully, making sure she knows it's not on purpose. He looked beside him back at Harry, smirking. "Unless you want to skip potions and head to Care of Magical Creatures instead?"

Harry looked at him in disbelief. Where's the Draco Malfoy he loves and knows? "You?" he asked him, scratching at his jaw at Draco's obvious lying attempt. "Skipping potions? Who are you, and what have you done to Draco Malfoy?"

"Let's go, Harry," Draco said and gave Harry a warm loving smile. He intertwined their hands together and looked back at his cousin, giving her a little wave with his free hand. "Bye Ivy!" They were off to Potion's with a wave back from Ivy, and they were lucky enough to get to Potions on time before the professor.

They took their seats together and got to work on the Pepper Up potions they were instructed to make by Professor Snape. They got through the potion fairly quickly together, Draco giving Harry the instructions to chop or stir while he does all the hard parts in making sure they have enough ingredients for the potion, making sure Harry is doing everything correctly and watching the heat of the cauldron. They finished after two other people, including Pansy and Hermione who were working together, and they gave a vile of their potion to the professor. Then they packed up and left for their next class of 'Care of Magical Creatures'.

Harry and Draco walked down to the area where Hagrid held most of the lessons together. Harry broke the silence as they got closer to the area where the lesson would be held. "So, what animal do you think Hagrid will teach us about?" he asked his boyfriend who he caught staring at him. He gave him a shy smile.

Draco shrugged as he had no idea and he felt his hot blush rekindle. He knew Hagrid would literally teach the class about anything dangerous. "I'm not sure," he said and suddenly looked down at the ground with a smile. "I hope that oaf won't cause any more troubles, not like last year with my elbow."

Harry looked at Draco sadly and nudged him in the ribs. "Hey!" he said, a little hurt that Draco called his friend that. "Hagrid's a friend of mine. Please don't insult him no matter how Oafy he is to you." He halted a few meters away from the place that the class took place and turned his body around to Face Draco's. His other hand found Draco's free hand and he twined them together.

Draco stopped in front of Harry and sighed guiltily. He stared into those green eyes that glittered in the sunlight, and it made his heart flutter in his chest. "I'm sorry," he said as his eyebrows gathered in and he leaned forward until his forehead touched Harry's. He moved in for a deep, leisurely kiss. He poured his heart and soul into it, wanting Harry to know just from the press of his lips how very special he was, and how loved, and how sorry he was to call Hagrid an Oaf.

"What was that for?" Harry asked when they parted from the sweet kiss that left them both a little breathless. He smiled when looking into Draco's eyes, waiting for an answer from his blonde Slytherin boyfriend.

"I'm just sorry for calling our professor what I had called him in front of you," Draco says softly and his forehead presses against Harry's forehead again. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Draco, an apology is all I need from you and you gave me one," Harry assured him, his hand coming up to Draco's face and cupped his cheek affectionately. "But that kiss also is included in the apology which I loved." He bit his lip, smiling. "It'll never get old. You should keep at it."

"Maybe I will," Draco said with a smirk, and as he leans forward for another kiss, Harry points towards where everyone in the class is. He looks to where Harry's pointing at and widens his eyes. Are those centaurs?" Hagrid stood with creatures that looked half man and half horse. Interesting... He was stunned to see an actual centaur herd. Then he saw a familiar centaur, who goes by the name of Ronan.

Harry looked over at a certain centaur and he remembered him from his first year in the forbidden forest for his first-ever detention. It was Firenze, the young blonde centaur. He kind of reminded him of Draco, but his hair is longer. And he has these charming diamond blue eyes. Harry smiled at the centaur; the centaur smiled back at him. But Firenze's eyes can never be as beautiful and breathtaking as Draco's silver eyes.

Draco saw the reaction from Harry and the centaur and began feeling jealous. He felt anger boil through him as he thought of his Harry being taken away by a... a... creature ... a... centaur! He moved closer to Harry like he was some animal guarding its mate and glared at the familiar centaur. I swear, if that bloody centaur says or does anything with my Harry, it will regret ever seeing the sight of 'The golden boy' ever again and... and... my father will hear about this! he thought, crossing his arm over his chest like a child who was in a tantrum. Hmph!

Harry looked back beside him at his adorable jealous boyfriend and nudged him playfully with a cheeky smile and a wink. Why would his boyfriend ever be jealous of Firenze? Harry doesn't even like the centaur. He likes Draco. No, he loves him with all his heart and soul.

Draco blushed and tried to glare at Harry but couldn't. He just raised his eyebrow and rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. Harry giggled and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek, making the Slytherin blush while not noticing that Hermione, Pansy, Neville, Dean and Seamus were all smiling, giggling, and chuckling at them, making kissy faces, and shaping their hands to look like hearts.

Draco looked up at the giggling lot and glared at them. How dare they ruin this moment he's having with Harry. Harry rolled his eyes and intertwined his and Draco's hands together. Draco smiled lovingly at Harry and pulled the Gryffindor even closer to him. Harry returned the loving smile, brought his hands up to cup Draco's cheeks and leaned forward to kiss him softly. Draco melted in the kiss with a smile and put his arms around Harry's back.

Pansy and Hermione used some sort of bubble spell and blew rainbow coloured heart-shaped bubbles towards Harry and Draco. The bubbles flew towards the two boys kissing, circling and floating around them. Harry ended the kiss as he heard something 'pop' right next to his ear. He wondered if his ear popped but didn't know if that was possible. He wasn't in the air or driving up a mountain, or in an aeroplane.

Seamus and Dean started kissing each other in front of the whole class, wanting to be apart of this kissing session and it's so their classmates don't just pay attention to Draco and Harry. They knew how awkward it was having people watch you as you kiss your lover. They heard tons of 'Awwe's from around them and one or two "Eww's' coming from the Slytherins but they didn't care.

Hagrid looked at the snogging males and laughed merrily. It wasn't new to him. He knows there are gay and lesbian couples throughout Hogwarts. they're not hard to find.

Neville grabbed hold of Ron and kissed him because he knew that Ron liked Blaise. He decided to make the Slytherin jealous. He heard a couple of gasps around him but really did not care, to be honest, he was actually liking kissing another bloke for some reason. He then pulled out of the kiss, looked over to see Blaise staring at him and Ron, who then looked down and stared at the floor in jealousy. He smiled and winked at Blaise.

"What the bloody hell was that, mate?" Ron snapped at Neville, shoving him back a bit away from him. He raised his hand up and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. He can now say he's kissed two blokes now but it's not something he wants to be impressed by. He cannot believe he let that happen.

Neville flinched at the shove but kept the smile on his face. "What?" he asked him proudly, feeling as if that was the bravest thing he'd ever done. Well, it wasn't really but it was nice to try. "I did that for you as you need it."

"Wait... what do you mean for me?" Ron asked with furrowed eyebrows, not understanding any of this. What did his fellow dormmate mean? "Why the bloody hell do I need it, Nev?" His voice became quieter as if he's embarrassed to say what was on his mind. "Why do I need to be kissed by you?"

"You'll see, Ronny-kins," Neville teased with a smile, chuckling at the name the twins usually call Ron and seeing Blaise look at Ron sadly. Ron gave him a disapproving snort at the name and shook his head.

Blaise came storming over to Neville and Ron, grabbed Neville by the collar and pulled him behind a tree. He narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor who kissed his soon to be Ron with those lips. He looked at the Gryffindor's lips and swallowed hard. "What the bloody hell are you doing, Longbottom?" he asked bitterly as he snapped his eyes back up to lightning blue eyes.

Neville smiled at the jealous boy but felt his heart flutter at being so close to him. At least he can say he definitely likes guys. "Relax, that was nothing," he assured the Slytherin. "I just did him a favour and it seemed to have worked." He gave the Slytherin a wink, enjoying watching Blaise get all rilled up all from an innocent little kiss he gave Ron.

Blaise grabbed a hold of Neville's collar tighter, tilting his head to the side only an inch. "Stop winking!" he hissed. "It's more annoying than Peeves throwing icy cold-water balloons on you." But then he hesitated and thought about what he heard come from the Gryffindor's mouth. "Wait... what do you mean you did him a favour? And how did it wo-," He hesitated, sighed and let go of the Gryffindor completely?

"Thank you," Neville said kindly, straightened his tie and cleared his throat at what he wanted to ask the Slytherin. "So, are you going to ask him out or are you too chicken?"

Blaise looked at Neville and bit his lip, hoping the boy had no idea who he liked. It is a secret. Only Pansy, Draco, Harry, and Ivy know. "Uhm..." he said innocently, trying to act as if he had no clue what Neville was saying. "Wha-? Um... I-," he stuttered and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay fine, yes I do. And exactly how many of your Gryffindorks know?" He crossed his arms over his chest while glaring at the Gryffindor in front of him.

"Uhm..." Neville started counting his fingers. "Well... there's Harry and Draco, who make an adorable couple by the way." He chuckled, looking over at the two who are holding hands and kissing each other fondly. "And there's Pansy, Hermione, Dean, Seamus and Ivy."

Blaise frowned. That's a lot of people that know of his crush on Ron. "Okay, that's a lot of people," he said, nearly squeakishly and tried not to sound panicked. Too late. "Anyway... um... just please don't kiss him again." He frowned at the ground and rubbed his arm up and down.

Neville nodded. He can easily do that. "Only if you ask him out," he said and crossed his arms, trying to look confident when standing up to the Slytherin. "And please, just call me Neville. And trust me, Ron likes you back. Even if he's been a complete git about it. It'll take some time for that small brain of his to wrap itself around reality but that time will come."

Blaise leaned against the tree, deep in thought as he knows how rude Ron had been to Harry by calling him a faggot and a poof. Not that poof really means anything. "Okay, but he said such cruel things about homosexuality," he reminded the Gryffindor. "I will try to do what you ask of me." He pointed a finger at him, "But I still hate you."

Neville nodded with a warm smile although he doubts the Slytherin hates him. "I can live with that," he said happily. Then he jabbed the Slytherin in the chest with his thinger. "Just... do not break his heart! Or I will come after you!"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at the Gryffindor showing his bravery towards him. Oh, and does he see a hint of flirt in the Gryffindor's tone? He does so. "Very well," he said boldly and straightened his posture to look intimidating. "I won't unless he breaks mine, then I'll come after you."

"Good," Neville said with a smile and took a wary step back away from the Slytherin. He still gets scared every now and then. "And I'm positively sure that no hearts will be broken. Now, go on and ask him!"

Blaise sighed. He couldn't ask Ron yet. Not after everything, the boy has said. "Not yet, Longbottom," he said whilst feeling a smile creep onto his lips at the thought of asking Ron out and not getting rejected. "When I feel as if it is a good enough time, then I'll ask."

Neville crossed his arms on his chest. "Name's not Longbottom, remember?" he said with a grin, but he really didn't mind being called his last name. He prefers his first name though. "Also, that's okay. Ask him out when you feel comfortable."

Blaise rolled his eyes at Neville. "Right, sorry," he said through his teeth. "Anyway, See you around? I want to meet this centaur," he said, giving an evil cheeky grin. "Maybe he and I could plan some fun tricks around Draco and Harry. Get Draco to feel Jealous because of the centaur and his good looks. Oh, the evil plans are pouring into my brain."

Neville smiles and pat Blaise on the shoulder, a little scared about what the Slytherin could get up to. He just hoped this master plan of Blaise's won't be too bad. "You do that. I bet Harry loves seeing a flushed jealous Draco because of a centaur."

Blaise stared at the centaur and rubbed his hands together as he had an evil plan to get to work on. "Hehehehehe. The plan is a go."

Neville watched him go off and talk to the centaur, feeling proud of his bravery but still a little scared of Blaise's evil plan. "Welp... Poor Draco," he whispers to himself with a side-smile, hoping Blaise won't do Draco in too good.

Harry looked from Neville and back to his boyfriend. He was surprised at his dormmate. "Did you see Neville kissing Ron and then Blaise coming after him?" he asked with a gleam of excitement in his eye. "I honestly thought Neville was going to die of anxiety then."

Draco nodded. He saw it and surprised the living muggle out of him. Not that there is any muggle inside of him. All Pureblood of a wizard. "That surely was a surprise. I didn't think Longbottom had the courage to do what he did."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco. His boyfriend should know by now to use other peoples first names. "Neville," he corrected.

Draco raised an eyebrow, almost like it's in question. "Pardon?"

"His name is Neville," Harry said with a smile and placed his arms around his Slytherin boyfriend's neck.

Draco rolled his eyes playfully at Harry and grinned. He honestly doesn't really care about that right now. All he cares about is making Firenze jealous of his love for Harry by giving him little kisses here and there while the damn centaur watches. "Whatever."

Harry nudged Draco on the arm, shaking his head at Draco's playfulness. This is serious to him. "Not whatever," he said, a little unimpressed with his boyfriend's behaviour. "His name is Neville." He cannot believe he has to repeat himself.

Draco rubbed at his arm with his hand where Harry nudged him and smiled sweetly at his boyfriend. He's just being a playful git to his boyfriend. He just hopes he hasn't taken it too far. "Neville, right," he said a little slowly. "I got it."

Want to go meet a centaur, you jealous git?" Harry then asks him just as he sees the centaurs making their way around to every student and chatting with them. Gregory just pulled the tail of one of the centaurs which earned him a spear to his throat. What a dumb ass. Another centaur had Hermione's hand in his palm and is leaning down to kiss it while Hermione's glaring at the centaur.

Draco was deep in thought about what he wanted to do. He didn't see the centaur coming up to Harry and himself. Firenze walked up to the two boys and waved. "Well, hello Harry," he greeted with a smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again. It's been many moons, hasn't it?"

Harry smiled at the centaur's warm greetings. Odd, but nice greetings. "Hello Firenze, it's so good seeing you too."

Draco could already feel the jealousy rush through him and the anger boil in his veins. All he needed to do was calm down with a few deep breaths which he was trying to do. He knew not to get jealous of the centaur. It was just a centaur after all. A bloody beast who deserves no right to touch Harry if he can stand it.

"Firenze, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy," Harry said with a warm smile, looked down and intertwined his fingers with Draco's. He lifted their hands up and kissed the back of Draco's hand, looking up into those silver eyes and smiled lovingly.

The centaur looked at Draco with a disgusted look on his face. He remembers the little brat from Harry's first year."You have fallen in love with that little brat?" he asked the Gryffindor, which he curled his lip.

Harry felt outraged at the centaur's sudden anger towards Draco. "Yes, I have fallen in love with him," he said as he wrapped his arms around Draco in a tight, protective hug. "I hope it's not a problem. And yes, he can be a little git sometimes but he's an adorable git. He's my adorable git."

Draco didn't know if he should be angry or happy towards Harry for standing up to him. He felt himself blush, feeling a thousand eyes upon himself and Harry. "Harry?" He was a little anxious now. "Crabbe, Goyle and Nott are staring. Should we do something?"

Harry smiled and shook his head, not caring about those three Slytherin's right now. They should know by now how much Draco means to him. "I know, let's just leave them to think about it," he said, turning to the shocked students, thankful that it's only a small class. "Who cares if they tell anyone else? Moldywart's supposedly dead, he doesn't know love like we do." He stopped himself from saying 'especially in the bed' as the centaur was still beside them.

Firenze sighed and trotted off back to Blaise with a smile on his face. He was glad the wizard's little prank worked on Harry's boyfriend. Draco was so jealous, it was quite amusing to watch and see how rilled up the blonde Slytherin got.

As soon as class was finished, everyone started walking back up towards the castle and the centaurs all galloped off into the Forbidden Forest. Draco looked at his boyfriend lovingly, giving him a kiss on the nose and hugged him with all his love and affection.

Harry hugged back with a smile. He loves Draco's hugs more than anything in the world. It's where he felt at home. "You know I love you, right?" he asked his Slytherin, his breath ghosting on Draco's neck.

Draco nodded with a warm smile as he kissed Harry's neck. "Of course, I know that," he said as he leaned out of the hug only far enough so he could see those green eyes he loves. "I love you too, Harry. Nothing in this world is stronger than my love for you."

Harry blushed a little and leaned closer to him so their noses touched. It is cute how Draco thought he wouldn't remember how jealous Draco was only minutes ago. "It didn't look like you knew since you were becoming all jealous of me and Firenze," he said, smirking at Draco's little guilty pout. "But either way I enjoyed watching you get jealous."

Draco rolled his eyes ignorantly. He didn't want to be reminded of it. "Oh, come off it!" he spoke as he pressed his lips into a fine white slash. "You know how jealous I can get when some other guy who I don't know talks to you."

Harry pushed back a strand of Draco's hair but it bounced back in place. He thought that was adorable and quite amusing to watch. "Oh really?" he teased with a smirk to his lips and pushed their bodies together. "I didn't notice."

"Let's head back to the castle," Draco said and decided to ignore how Harry was teasing him. He would rather Harry tease him in a different way that involves being under the sheets with him. "I don't want to be late for my next single class and I'm sure you don't want to be either."

Harry gave Draco a kiss on the cheek, feeling his warm skin touch his lips and the scent of vanilla from Draco's cologne. God, he loves how Draco smells. "You know me so well, don't you?" His lips brushed against Draco's cheek, and he leans back to look into Draco's silver eyes.

Draco smiled, feeling the kiss still lingering on his cheek. "Yes, I do know you exceptionally well," he says with a nod and places an arm around Harry as they began to walk up to the castle. "Probably even more than your little Gryffindor friends."

Before they got onto the entrance bridge, Harry froze under a tree, turned around to face Draco and looked into silver eyes. He cupped his hands over Draco's cheeks and kissed him softly and slowly. He didn't want to let go of the kiss at all because all he wanted was to spend the whole day with his boyfriend.

Draco smiled into the kiss and kissed back passionately, not wanting to let go either. When they began running out of air, they slowly let go of the kiss and stared into each other's eyes. "What was that for?"

"It's because I love you," Harry says sweetly and presses his lips to Draco's once more for a quick kiss. He leans away, smiling and caressing the Slytherin's cheeks. He bites his lip softly, wishing to spend the entire day with Draco but unfortunately, he had a lot of homework to do.

They started walking down the entrance bridge to get into the Hogwarts grounds hand in hand. As soon as they made it inside, they hugged, gave a goodbye kiss and departed in different directions and went to their next classes. But when those classes finished and they were both headed to the Great Hall for breakfast, Draco had grabbed Harry's hand when he found him by the Great Hall and led him up to Gryffindor Tower.

Harry didn't ask any questions. He just let Draco take him to wherever the Slytherin wanted to go which was Gryffindor Tower which he found out as they walked up the moving stairs to the portrait of the Pink Lady.

When they were up in the boy's dormitory, Draco had looked around carefully at all the beds and to his luck saw nobody. He shut the door behind Harry with a grin and turned to his Gryffindor. "I just thought some time alone with my boyfriend would be fun," he said and closed the distance between them by placing his arms around Harry's waist. "Don't you think so?"

"You mean some time alone while everyone's down eating lunch while we're up here and could be naked on my bed?" Harry corrected him with a smirk and his green eyes were filled with a sudden glimmer of lust which made Draco excited both sexually and mentally.

"We can make that happen," Draco said hotly, picked Harry up by the bottom with as much strength as he could muster and carried him to the bed which he hoped is Harry's. But the teddy bear he gave Harry on Valentines Day that he saw above Harry's pillow told him that he was on the correct bed. He laid Harry down on the bed, Harry's head on the pillows, and he leaned over the Gryffindor. "By the way, how's that bottom of yours since our first time?" he asked quietly to green eyes.

"Still a little sore but I think I can handle another round if that's what we're going to do," Harry tells him while casting a muttered privacy and sound charm around his bed they were in. "Now give your all to me, Draco."

Draco didn't need Harry to tell him what to do. He'd happily give his all to Harry any day. After closing the drapes around each other, they rid themselves of their clothes one by one until they were butt naked and kissing passionately in the slight darkness of Harry's bed.

Draco didn't know what it was, but there was a feeling inside him as he lay with Harry, kissing him, touching for the thousandth time the curves and planes that made his body such a delight. He felt that way a lot, and Harry intuited the mood unfailingly, much to Draco's sustained surprise every time it happened. And Harry never refused him. Never.

Some usually passive part of him craved being inside Harry at that moment. It wasn't a ravenous need; rather a slow burn, a hunger that nibbled at him and reminded him how Harry's chest flushed pink so prettily when he's inside Harry, how needy and quiet his moans were.

Draco wanted to love Harry with his body. He didn't want to stamp his possession on their coupling; it was much more about giving Harry all of the pleasure with none of the hard work. Draco would do the work, the preparations, the kisses on Harry's eyelids when they flickered as Draco pushed inside him. He'd hold Harry close and love him, staring down into those wide, innocent eyes as they fluttered with emotion, unused to the gentleness.

It was a beautiful way to start lunch. Draco couldn't get enough of the feel of Harry's calves bumping against his hips, his sides, as he held his legs wide and invited Draco between them. He placed kisses on the soft skin on the insides of Harry's thighs, letting stray fingers wander over the hairless surface behind his testicles, and further back too, until he was sliding a saliva slicked finger in the channel between Harry's parted buttocks; not penetrating him, just stroking him there.

The velvety skin, so much softer even than expensive rose petals, felt flawless against Draco's tongue. He licked Harry everywhere, sucking the little ovals in his sac into his mouth and playing with them before working his way back, lapping invasively at the first hint of the path dividing Harry's perfect, biteable bottom. The bottom which he hasn't tasted yet.

Harry tasted like nothing Draco had ever experienced before as this was his first time tasting ass to his satisfaction. Harry wasn't sharp or bitter. He was rich and clean and sweet under his tongue; he was mouth-wateringly good. He permitted his tongue to slip inside, the taste was purely Harry; so much better, more satisfying to the senses. Harry cried out as Draco's tongue dove sloppily inside Harry's hole, tracing the rim lightly with its tip before curling it inside.

Draco's chin slid in the slick wetness even as his tongue did wicked things to the tender flesh, and every broken whimper Harry uttered affected Draco's body. He forced his face into Harry's skin, eager to slide in even a few more millimetres. His heart rate tripled and his temperature shot up, the muscles in his own hole twitching and pulsing in sympathy with Harry's.

But it was the sliding inside Harry that affected Draco the most. Harry's eyes; they were -they were just so -worshipful. Draco didn't doubt that Harry valued him more than anything else in the world. It was clear to see in his eyes, even the way his lips quivered as he let out a glorious, thankful sigh on each inward stroke. It was magnificent. Draco took his time, spent ages stroking into Harry, making a tease of pulling out of him before gliding back inside, feeling every ridge and bump and unexpected squeeze with gratitude.

Harry wrapped his legs around Draco's hips as Draco stopped tonguing him and crawled forward and began kissing him again. And it was so much better, skin sliding on skin, the heat of Draco's cock against his hip even though he could taste something odd in Draco's mouth. Goodness. When he felt a finger teasing his rim again, he reached up and twisted Draco's nipple in response, earning a loud groan from above him. He smiled.

Harry pulled a knee up, exposing himself even more. It was gratifyingly effective, as Draco's hand pressed against the back of Harry's raised knee, bending him almost in half, and he began pressing against Harry's loosened hole.

At first, the feeling was familiar. The pressure that increased steadily, the initial burning stretch that fingering never entirely alleviated. But this was more. Usually, after the initial stretch, there was a relief. The stretch stopped, overwhelmed by the pressure, and then pleasure, inside him. But this continued, wider and longer, a never-ending burn. His erection flagged, and he closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing.

Draco babbled jumbled nonsense in his ear and continued that long slow thrust. Every moment closer, deeper, and Harry's body struggled to acclimate, to accept. Every moment, Harry almost asked Draco to pause, to stop, and every moment his body opened further, first allowing, and then demanding more.

And then it stopped, and Harry blinked his eyes open, blinked through the tears. "I'm in. I'm in." Draco's breath only barely had words, and Harry clutched at him, opened and stretched, as he'd never imagined before. "Merlin, Harry."

They were both quivering with strain, and as Draco slowly rocked his hips, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't. I have to move," Harry didn't think he'd survive the return press. That if Draco hadn't been on top of him, pressing his leg into his chest and holding his knee, he'd have fled.

But each slide grew longer, smoother, and the spark inside him fired again. He gasped when Draco pulled back, grabbing Harry's other leg and resting each on his shoulders. The change of angle set blood rushing back to his cock. "Yes." Draco's words were a hiss between clenched teeth, and his face was flushed red with strain. "Harry."

Harry didn't care. He reached for his cock, pulling desperately. The lead-up, the teasing. The feeling of Harry, of Draco's cock, pounding into him was too much. He was oversensitive, and his hand on his cock felt both painful and wonderful in the same way that Draco's cock felt where it was buried inside him.

"Come on. Come on." And Harry wanted to release his cock. To concentrate on the feeling deep inside him, the feeling his body had finally—finally—acknowledged as pleasure. "Harry, please." But Draco's words, their pleading tone was too much. His heart was pounding, and each breath gasped around the tightness in his chest.

He stroked his cock, watching Draco: the furrow of his brow, the way his hair had both curled and flattened in places, wet with sweat, the painful-looking flush of his cheeks, the way his own gaze seemed locked on Harry as if Harry was his entire world. But Harry is his entire world and even his universe.

It was Draco's face, his expression, and the combination of avidity and tenderness there, which tipped Harry over the edge. His back arched, toes curled, his semen boiled out of him, his cry cutting Draco to the quick. Draco bent his head and watched the orgasm complete, fascinated by, and hungry for, the feel of Harry's erection jerking against him. The sound Draco made at that was one Harry never wanted to forget, and he pounded even harder into Harry's arse.

Harry's eyes drooped, as Draco continued fucking into him, overwhelmed by the lassitude following his orgasm. The feeling he didn't think he could take, of Draco's cock stretching and filling him up, now strangely comforting as the rhythm faltered, as Draco let Harry's legs drop, he buried his head against Harry's neck, mouthing the pulse point as he arched and groaned and finally stilled.

Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Draco's shoulders, as he was certain they were the only part of him that could still move. "I'm probably smothering you," Draco's voice was hoarse and breathy, and Harry's hands clenched tighter.

"S'fine." Draco's weight was heavy on him, but he was hesitant to lose it, to have to acknowledge or, Merlin help him, discuss the fact that Draco was in his bed again, much less that he was there with Draco's slowly softening cock still up his arse. He'd much rather bask. He closed his eyes, nuzzling into Draco's hair, smelling the salt and sweat and Citrus that caused his heart to thump in his chest.

"Here. Let me clean you up," And Draco was pulling away, sliding from Harry's arms and arse in the same pull. He whimpered, and Draco's expression immediately went concerned. "Are you alright? I didn't...."

Harry smiled up at him, knowing his expression was stupidly besotted. At that moment, he didn't care how much it revealed. He wanted it revealed. "You didn't," he told him softly. "I'm fine. Better than that, actually."

And Draco's smile grew, lighting his face. "That's good, my darling Harry," he said as he flopped bonelessly against Harry's chest to give his body some time to refresh. He wasn't breathless; they'd gone too slowly for that. It was a different kind of tired; a good kind. "You still hungry for some lunch? We can go to the kitchens if you want to."

"Let's just lay here for a short while and then go get lunch in the kitchens," Harry said as he felt that familiar weird feeling of his body sending his brain happy messages from the sex he and Draco had. The incredible sex, might he add. He wondered if sex is addicting, like a drug or cigarettes.

"As you wish, Harry," Draco says as he leans forward and plants a kiss on Harry's lips. "As you wish."

*****

Ivy was walking down the corridors of Hogwarts as she had a spare period until Charms. She might as well go to the library as she hasn't read a good book in AGES. She had just turned a corner and then 'BAM'. A couple of books had fallen on the floor beside her. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as she helped the other person pick up their books.

"No, I'm sorry," said a soft voice, that sounded like a sob. "I should have seen where I was going."

Ivy looked up at the person, realizing it's her long-time crush, Lavender Brown. What's she doing out of class? She looked into Lavender's beautiful brown eyes and it seems that she's been crying, He couldn't but help and ask if she was okay. "Hi, Lavender," she said, giving her an expression of pure compassion and openness. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Lavender said while wiping a tear from her eyes with her Gryffindor uniform jumper sleeve. She's just scared of one particular thing when she knows she shouldn't be. "Thanks for asking."

Ivy looked at her sadly, wanting to know how someone so gorgeous could be so sad. It just doesn't make sense to her. "Lavender, I know you're not," she said with a sad smile. She's glad she can see through people like others can't. "Please, may I ask why you're upset?"

"I-it's just... I'm s-cared of what I am," Lavender said with a few stutters, letting a tear run down her cheek. She felt ashamed for crying in front of an older student about something so simple though she hasn't told the girl yet.

"Scared of what? Ivy asked as she reached forward and wiped that single tea away from her cheek, feeling the brown-eyed Gryffindor's warm skin against her fingers and it just sent a shock through her. "Being a witch?"

Lavender gave a little giggle and looked over Ivy's shoulder, trying to see if anyone was around them in case someone were to overhear them. "No, not that," she told her a little shyly and folded her hair behind her ears. "I mean of my sexuality... being bisexual"

Ivy felt relieved that she could have a chance with this beautiful girl in front of her. "Oh Lavender, there's nothing wrong with liking the same gender," she assured her carefully, reached up and placed a hand over the girl's shoulder. "It's becoming a very common thing nowadays. There is no need to worry about anything."

"Oh," Lavender said, hesitated and looked into the eyes of the older girl's when feeling her hand on her shoulder. She doesn't know why she is feeling tingles all through her body. "I- I never knew that. But, how would people react if they knew I like girls? I mean, I asked Parvati what she thought of homosexuality and she just blew me with words about how disgraceful it is." she started tearing up.

Ivy couldn't help but feel sorry for this girl so she wrapped her arms around her, giving her the best hug she could give. She smelt so sweet like candies and chocolate. It was addicting. "It's okay, people have their own opinions. They're terrible, but it's only their opinions. If it makes you feel better, I'm a lesbian." She couldn't believe she told her that. Yes, now she knows, and it could possibly be the worst thing she has ever said to this girl.

Lavender ended the hug, wiped away the remaining tears and smiled at Ivy. Looking deep into her eyes, her face only inches away. Ivy felt as if we were going to kiss but I couldn't get my hopes up like that. Lavender cast a "Tempus," her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my, it seems it's nearly time for my next class. I should go, see you around?"

"Yeah, see you around," Ivy said, smiling and waving goodbye to her though she didn't want to say bye. This is her first time having a conversation with her besides the Yule Ball. She watched as Lavender turned around and started walking down the corridor. She saw her dirty blonde hair whooshing in the wind as she walked. So beautiful... "Wait, Lavender," she yelled, running up to her. She had no clue why she just did that, but she thought about it and this was her chance.

Lavender turned around with a smile. "Yeah?"

"I- um..." Ivy stuttered, taking a moment to think about what she was about to say and ask. "Since it's Hogsmeade weekend in a few days... I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" she asked while feeling her blood rush down to her pale cheeks.

Lavender smiled sweetly and felt herself blush. "Sure," she said with a nod. "I'd love to."

Ivy felt like squealing. She just asked out her crush and she said yes! Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness! What do I wear? No, don't get too caught up with this. It's in a few days. She has days to figure out what to wear. "Great, when shall we meet?"

"Uhm..." Lavender said and she looked to be deep in thought. She was deep in thought about where she could meet Ivy at. The only idea she came up with is the most obvious. "How about you just meet me at the fat lady's portrait?"

"Sure, I can meet you there," Ivy said and felt like jumping into Lavender's arms. "But the only problem is, we have to go with Draco and Harry." She saw the look of confusion on Lavender's face. She smiled. "The reason being is, well, they don't want to raise any suspicion of their relationship otherwise... Well, I don't know what will happen."

"Oh, I understand," Lavender said with a nod, excited to go on her first-ever date. Where will they go for the date though? A restaurant? Cafe? A walk in the park? "So, it'll be like a double date?"

Ivy smiled. "Yeah, but if we get far enough away from other people, we can head our own way," she said. "Like to a rose garden or someplace else. I've learnt how to apparate. I'm not the age to do it, but I learnt how to do it. So, if you'd like to go anywhere in the world. I'd be able to take you."

Lavender blushed and nodded, looking down at the ground, clearly deep in thought yet again. "Anyway... I should go," she said awkwardly, pushing a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear and then pointed behind her. She walked backwards for a few seconds then turned around and started walking to her next class.

Ivy smiled. The prettiest girl in the school is going out with her. Well, she hopes Lavender knows what she meant when she asked her. She wonders what Lavender's going to wear. She wondered where she is going to take her- THAT'S IT! She needs to know where to take her. Hmm, well there's the leaky cauldron... Wait, how about the Garden? No, that place is for Harry, Draco and herself. But she would love to take Lavender there someday. Maybe she could even take her to Australia, go to the Australia Zoo. Maybe even meet Bindi and Robert Irwin. They're probably not going to be there though as they are always off in America somewhere. Or she could take her to a fancy restaurant somewhere in Sydney. Or take her to Tasmania, where they can explore the wilderness. Ugh, it all sounds amazing! She's not sure what to do.

Ivy then realized that she was standing alone in the corridors. She cast a quick "Tempus" and it told her she had half an hour until her next lesson. May as well go to the library then, since she wants to get her nose in a good book.

*****

Lavender rushed into Charms, thinking about what just happened. She couldn't help but smile, but she wanted to let out a ginormous Scree of happiness. She quickly ran into class and sat down next to Parvati, her best friend.

"Where've you been?" Parvati asked her suddenly and gave her friend her Charms book. She kept it with her since she last saw Lavender during breakfast. "I was looking everywhere for you. You had me worried."

"Sorry, I just ran into a friend on my way here," Lavender said, smiling widely at the memory of the girl. When seeing Parvati raise an eyebrow, she just felt proud and got into a more comfortable position on the chair she sat on. "I can have other friends than you, you know."

"Who is this friend?" Parvati asked curiously, furrowing her eyebrows at her best friend. Lavender is her best friend. Nobody else's. She knows Lavender can have other friends but she doesn't want to become the third wheel. It's her worst nightmare.

Harry then walked into the classroom, right by Parvati and Lavender but Lavender had gotten his attention. "Hello Harry," she said kindly, smiling at him. "How's your boyfriend, Draco? And you of course."

Harry looked over at the two girls and forced a smile on his face. He went over to them and stood in front of the girl's desk. He hasn't seen his boyfriend since Herbology class this morning. "Hello, girls. I'm doing fine," he told them earnestly. "And Draco is doing quite well the last time I checked."

Parvati suddenly raised her eyebrows at Harry, knowing who the boy was dating. She really didn't have any idea how to react to Harry being gay and having a boyfriend. That boyfriend being Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin. Her parents told her that being homosexual was a sin and she believed them.

"Harry... Your friend Ivy," Lavender said, her smile widening at the thought of the pretty Slytherin. "I bumped into her as I was coming to class. So, we kind of talked and... I found about her being a lesbian. And... she asked me out." She looked beside her at her friend who just gave her a little smile, then looked back at Harry. "Has she ever talked about me?"

"Yeah, a little bit," Harry said with a nod and raised a hand and held his thumb and forefinger a fraction of an inch apart to emphasise his point. The Slytherin girl practically rants on and on about Lavender. It is honestly so sickening to hear.

Lavender felt a blush run up her cheeks. It's thrilling to know that Ivy has been thinking of her. "So, what are you and Draco going to do tomorrow once we get away from everyone?" she then asks quietly just so she's not heard by anyone else.

"Oh, not sure," Harry said blankly with a shrug, staring at the desk the girls are seated at. "Probably get a Butterbeer and chill, act as friends in the crowds of Hogsmeade and when he and I find someplace alone he and he and I will just make out."

Lavender happily giggled a little at the thought of Harry and Draco snogging in some quiet place alone. She can see it clearly in her mind. "So, have you got anything romantic planned for him?" she asked him, intrigued by what her fellow Gryffindor could plan for Draco.

Harry thought about it, he wasn't going to tell Lavender about the secret garden. Not unless Ivy wanted to, he'd be fine with that. He shrugged at her question. "Not sure, I was thinking he and I could go and find a garden in Hogsmeade and just sit and relax there. Or he will plan a date with me somewhere. He's the romantic one. Not me."

"That sounds so romantic!" Lavender says sweetly, her hand coming up to her heart which it stayed there. "I wonder what Ivy and I will do; I still don't know who's going to pick the places to go." She was pondering where Ivy will take her. Is there a lunch reservation? Or just a little stroll through Hogsmeade together, holding hands.

"Well, usually you both pick," Harry said and looked behind the girls at the door, waiting for his blonde Slytherin to walk through that doorway with poise and elegance. He's also looking forward to seeing that arse of Draco's wander in, and how the Slytherin can make his robes billow just by walking. "Well, Draco and I will both pick where we will go. It's not a one-person thing. Do you get me?"

Lavender nodded. She was going to tell him about how Ivy can apparently apparate but she didn't want word to spread since Ivy is underage. Parvati can be a very big mouth. It's how gossip spreads like wildfire through the castle. "I can't wait to get to know her," she then said. "She's so pretty, like a dark angel who fell from the heavens. Her hair is so long and wavy, it's like the ocean under the night sky. Her blue eyes are like the deep blue ocean but yet look so unnatural, her skin looks so soft..." She hesitated with a dark blush as she just let out a whole lot of information about the girl she likes.

"Someone's in love," Parvati teased her best friend with a smile. Harry forced a laugh at that true fact, and Lavender started laughing back.

"Thanks for the talk, I guess," Lavender said gratefully to Harry and Parvati. "I believe it helped me a little. I don't feel as nervous as I did before. Thank you both again."

"Don't mention it," Harry said and thought about the date he and Draco would be planning for Hogsmeade weekend. He looks up and locks eyes with his boyfriend, smiling like he was seeing a pure god.

Draco eyed his boyfriend, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown suspiciously. He had seen them talking and wondered what they were talking about. He went over to Harry, gave him a kiss on the cheek in front of the giggling girls, and pulled Harry to an empty seat. When they were seated together, he grabbed Harry's chin, turned it towards him, and kissed him square on the lips. It surprised Harry, and he melted into the Slytherin's warm and loving embrace. It wasn't until Professor Flitwick entered the classroom that they pulled away from the kiss with deep blushes on their cheeks.


	21. A Hexagon of Love

Lunchtime came around so fast it was like time itself was running late. Harry made his way into the Great Hall, looking around the tables for either Hermione, Ivy or Draco. Finally, he spotted the beautiful Whiteish blonde hair that belonged to his boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. The curious thing was, he wasn't at the Slytherin table. The Slytherin was at the Gryffindor table with Ivy and Lavender.

Harry casually just walked over to the Gryffindor table like nothing was new and sat next to his beloved Draco. "Hey everyone," he said and turned around to face Draco. "Fancy seeing you here again my love. What's with the new change of seating?"

Draco looked into Harry's green eyes and smiled. It was one of those smiles that lit Harry up with fireworks from the inside. "Well, see my cousin over here wanted to sit with her new friend," he said to his boyfriend but pointing a finger to Ivy who was sitting next to Lavender. "She dragged me over here. I don't mind though. But I was getting a few stares from your Gryffindorks."

"Gryffindorks?" Harry asked, a little unimpressed by the word and raised an eyebrow at him. He's heard his boyfriend say that word before. It doesn't bother him at all but he needs to make sure he's not the only one who's affected by the word.

Ivy and Lavender both rolled their eyes at the boys and continued carrying on a conversation with each other about what they want their date to be and so on.

Something then caught Harry's eye. It was a someone. Ron. "Is that Ron and Blaise heading out into the Grand Hall?" He asked and pointed towards the two boys who were exiting out of the Great Hall. It was intriguing to watch. Where were they going instead of lunch?

"I wonder if they're secretly dating?" Ivy asked silently but loud enough to hear as Draco, Harry, and Lavender stared at her with confusion. "What?" she asked them, looking at the three. "It could happen. We know how lovey-dovey he is over Ron even if he hides it well."

Draco nodded his head with a smirk, agreeing with his cousin. He's seen Blaise just lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling of his 4-poster. It was hilarious actually. "Yeah, that is quite true."

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked them while searching the Great Hall for a familiar sight of fluffy brown hair. Where was his friend? He is glad Hermione has someone to hang with other than himself and books since he's been spending most of his time with Draco.

"There she is!" Lavender said, pointing towards the Slytherin table. She saw Hermione and Pansy sitting side by side and holding hands as they ate lunch together. "Naww!" she sighed in awe with a hand to her heart.

"So, let's talk about tomorrow," Harry said directly, smiling at the girls who decided to flirt with one another. He pilled his plate up with pikelets with syrup on top for his lunch. "We need a plan for the day. Like, when we all will be together when we separate." He held Draco's hand in his because his own hands were feeling a little cold even if it was quite a warm day. Unless it was his excitement making him cold but was that possible?

Draco intertwined his fingers with Harry's with a smile, feeling the warmth of Harry under his fingertips and the palm of his hand. "Yeah," he said, looking beside him at Harry and looked him up and down. Hee was just excited for Hogsmeade weekend. "So, where will we all meet?"

Lavender looked up from her curried egg sandwich. "The Fat Lady's Portrait which goes into the Gryffindor common room?" she asked them quietly as she leant forward so they could hear her better. "I mean, it's easy enough."

The three nodded except Draco. "Why do you lot call her 'the fat lady'?" he asked and his eyebrows drew together as he felt sorry for the woman in the portrait even if he hasn't talked to her ever. "It's kind of rude, isn't it?"

Harry smiled at Draco, loving him even more for his caring nature of even the portraits. It's beautiful to him. "It's just what we've been told to call her," he told his boyfriend. "She's called many things. Besides, she doesn't mind the insults. She said she's used to them."

"That's even worse!" Draco answered seriously and couldn't believe the names the poor lady gets told or hears every day. It's saddening. She could have been someone's mother or grandmother. Nobody wants to be called named behind their backs or even in front of themselves. He knows this.

"Anyway..." said Ivy as she knows the Fat Friar really doesn't care for the insults. She's seen the lady been called by those names and she keeps a straight face the entire time. She's even asked the lady herself why she never gets upset. She's just a portrait. "So, when do we meet? 7? 8?"

"Let's do... 9," Harry said at last and Ivy, Lavender and Draco nodded. It is early enough and there's enough time for everyone to get ready and have breakfast. "Okay, so that is sorted. Where will we go?"

"The Hogs Head would be alright," Lavender said agreeably with a nod. She knows there won't be lots of people there that early of the day. "There will be fewer people there and possibly more students to crowd us in."

"What about if we want to be alone?" Ivy couldn't help but ask as she'd love to be alone with Lavender. Who wouldn't want to be with such a beautiful girl? She would want to at least find someplace alone with Lavender. Somewhere nice, romantic, around people so they know Lavender is hers and she is Lavenders.

"We both will find a place away from people and go on from there," Draco said. "Maybe, behind the Hogs Head and Zongos? I've heard that there's a small enough gap for 2 people at a time to get through. And after getting through the gap, there's apparently a place not a lot of people know about."

"That's true, I've been there myself," Ivy said straightforwardly and gave Lavender a little smile. Everyone looked at her in disbelief. "It's amazing there! There's even a magical passageway that leads to a muggle lake. It's gigantic. There are swans, ducks and all sorts of birds."

"Wow!" Lavender said dreamily, staring back into blue eyes which look so unnatural. "That sounds truly amazing! But, since you know how to apparate, can't you apparate us someplace? Like France, Japan or Australia?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief. He didn't know Ivy could apparate. He looked beside him at Draco who also looked confused. He's not the only one who doesn't know of Ivy's abilities. Then Draco's expression softened and he looked beside him at Harry. He nodded like he had read Harry's mind.

Ivy pressed a finger to Lavender's soft lips, shushing her. Jesus those lips are soft. She doesn't want to be found out of her abilities. It would be terrible fines for her, fines that she would be able to pay off easily. "Shhh!" she said quietly with a soft smile. "Lav, I don't want people finding out what I can do."

Lavender blushed and smiled warmly. But one question still lingered in the front of her mind. "Sorry, but isn't it not allowed to go to Muggle London on Hogsmeade weekends?" she asked the older student who should know better than to let three younger teens out into the muggle world. But the thought was exciting.

Ivy nodded a little sadly. But she will try her best to hide the others from plain sight. "That's true but who'll find out if nobody tells?" she asked the dirty blonde haired girl beside her. She opened her mouth to say that nobody would since she will sneak them out easily but was interrupted by the soft sigh coming from in front of them. She smirked at the two boys in front of her who started kissing and watched her cousin stick his tongue down Harry's throat.

"Umm..." said a low voice from beside Harry and Draco. Harry broke away from the kiss when hearing that familiar voice and turned his head around and saw Ron with Blaise. Ron was clearly in his own thoughts. "Harry, can we talk?" He looked at Draco, "In private, please?"

Harry looked at Draco warily. He was a bit anxious having Ron around again, especially with what rude things he had called him a month ago. But his best mate had said he was sorry three days ago. So he couldn't be mad at Ron anymore.

Draco looked Harry in his eyes and nodded at the nervous look his boyfriend had. He looked beside him and stared right back at Ron, narrowing his eyes at the redhead. "Anything you have to say to Harry you can say it to me too."

Ron gave a sigh which sounded quite miserable. He was miserable. He had been without his best mate for months. He misses Harry dearly and doesn't know why he acted so stupidly towards Harry. "Please, follow me then."

Draco then looked up at Blaise, asking non-verbally if Weasley was actually being serious about this. But when Blaise nodded, he knew it wasn't some sort of set-up. Why would Blaise let him be set up? they're best friends who stick with each other to the very end.

They stood up and followed Ron and Blaise out of the Great Hall. Harry didn't know where they were going, only that they headed towards the entrance Hallway until Ron stopped at the second stairway and looked up at him.

Ron stood leaning on the stone wall on the staircase. "I'd like to apologize for my behaviour these past few months," he started with a lopsided smile. He knew Harry and Draco didn't believe him but he had to tell them everything he could. "I've been a terrible mate, believing homosexuality was bad and not normal." He looked at the two boys, but his eyes stopped when seeing Harry." It's all my fault and I was stupid enough to believe Percy's biased opinions. So, I'm really sorry."

Harry didn't know what to say, he felt a whole lot better than he did earlier. But that word will never make him forget what Ron had said to him, what Ron had called him. It would stick to him forever. "It's okay Ron, I forgive you."

Ron smiled sadly and felt relieved all of a sudden. "Thank you, Harry," he said to his best mate. Hopefully, he is back to being best mates with Harry. "I've missed you, mate. You don't understand how hard it was without you. I'm heading back up to the castle as I missed out on lunch. Is anyone coming?"

Draco looked at Blaise, smiling. He knew that what Weasel said was from the heart and not acted out by Blaise. "I think it is best if we all go back up," he said as he gave his Harry a side hug in front of the two other people, making sure Harry's getting the love he needs and deserves.

With a few nods of agreement, the two Gryffindor's and Slytherin's made their way back into the Great Hall. When entering the Great Hall, Harry and Draco took their previous seats in front of Ivy and Lavender while Blaise and Ron went away to the Slytherin table to bug Hermione and Pansy with smirks on their faces.

-

Down with the 3rd years, Ginny was thinking, thinking hard about all the homosexual couples she has seen walking the halls hand in hand. And after Christmas when she had come back to Hogwarts, she heard Ron talking to Fred and George about him kissing some boy named Blaise Zabini and liking it. At first, she was furious about the fact that Ron had switched sides. But over the month of January, she had even become a little curious about what kissing girls could feel like.

She's been noticing girls more than guys. Their skin that looks so soft to the touch, their lips as well, their hair that she could see herself running her hand through, their body and how curved and pretty it is, beautiful eyes that could hold colours of the rainbow that probably doesn't exist. It's also confusing to her. So when February hit, she went right up to her best friend Luna who she found wandering the corridors alone and pretended to give her a hug but instead she kissed her. It truly was an incredible thing, to feel Luna kiss her back with those kitten soft lips and to be in the comforting arms of her best friend.

"Hello, little sister," George said, sitting down next to Ginny with a smile and on the other side of Ginny, Fred sat down with his own smile.

The twins had started Ginny from her deep thinking about her best friend. "Hello George," she said a little irritably as she didn't want to be disturbed at all right now. Her arm reached over the table to a cheese and ham toasty which she grabbed and started eating.

"My, my... what's with the mood little sister?" Fred asked her curiously, leaning towards her with an eyebrow that raised forcefully. He had seen her thinking. He knows her thinking face. He and his twin want to know what she's thinking about and if it's intriguing.

"And is it about a particular blonde-haired Ravenclaw that we've seen you stare at multiple times every day?" George asked and smiled knowingly at her. He's seen it clearly and so has his twin. He knows of every look his brothers and sisters give their lovers. He hasn't seen it with Bill yet, but he's heard charlie talk about a boy he works with loads of times. He hasn't seen any type of look on Percy's face besides when his face lights up when Oliver Wood gets mentioned in a conversation.

Ginny looked up at her brothers in surprise. "How-" she wanted to ask how they know about her continuous stares at her best friend but knew the answer. They were her brothers after all. "Never mind that. Isn't it wrong to like the same gender?" she just had to ask this question before she comes out to them.

Fred and George shook their heads. How could she not know when there are a few homosexual couples in Hogwarts. Harry and Draco being the most known one and probably the most popular.

"No, it's never wrong," Fred said and reached over to give his younger sister a pat on the shoulder. "If you love someone then go for them. You cannot take away the love in your heart and ignore it. It is impossible. Do you see people discriminating against Harry and Draco? No. Besides you and Ron but that seems to have changed and for the better."

"Love is love, sweet Ginny," George finished softly and gave her a warm brotherly smile. "Love the person who you like, and if that person doesn't like you back, then it is their loss. You're an incredible person, Ginny. Anyone who puts you down, you take them down with you. You're the strongest person we have ever known."

"Look, there are going to be people who are homophobic, but that should never stop you from loving the person you love," George tells her and his hand move to her back so he can give her a little side hug. "Now, go get your Ravenclaw."

Ginny suddenly smiled and she gave a long sigh. She believes it is time to tell them. "Since I know that now... I would like you both to meet my girlfriend," she said as she stood up from the seat and noticed her brother's surprised expression. "Wait right here, will you?" She gave them both kisses on the forehead just to embarrass them a little. Embarrass them she did. She smirked and headed over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Hello, Ginny," Luna said in her dreamily voice to her girlfriend who had made an appearance at her house table. "How is your morning?"

"Hello, Luna..." Ginny said, smiling brightly at her. "My morning is perfect now that I'm here with you." she watched the blush rise from Luna's neck which made her feel satisfied. "Would you like to go over to Gryffindor table with me and meet my brothers, Fred and George, as my official girlfriend?"

"Sure," Luna said and reached out for Ginny's hand, twining their hands together while ignoring the giggles coming from all around them. "I would love to. Let's go."

-

Blaise suddenly gave Draco the middle finger from across the Great Hall at the Slytherin table. He didn't know what it meant but some kid gave it to him earlier today. He remembered giving the kid the middle finger back and the kid laughed at him and skated away on shoes with wheels on them. What an odd contraption.

Draco was so confused. What does that gesture mean? Did he do something? Beside him, Harry and Ivy were sniggering at him. What was so funny?

Ivy stopped her sniggering and smirked at the rude gesture from Blaise towards her cousin. Does he even know what it means? "In case you didn't know, that gesture means that you did something to anger Blaise. Draco, what did you do or say to Blaise to make him think badly of you?"

"I didn't do anything that I remember doing that could have angered Blaise," Draco said and glared Blaise's way, not knowing what he did to his best friend. Did he do something which he doesn't remember? Nothing that he knows of.

"Hmmm," said Ivy, not sure if she believes him. She sighs and grabs a piece of garlic bread from a basket with white and red little squares on the inside. She squirts what looks like tomato sauce on the garlic bread piece and smiles at the delicious taste as she eats it. "I wonder if Blaise knows what it means in the muggle terminology.

"Same," Harry says and stares down at the odd thing Ivy's eating. Who the fuck eats Garlic bread with tomato sauce? Well, now he knows someone who does. "Um... Ivy, why on earth do you eat such a... odd meal?"

"I'm kind of allergic to Garlic," Ivy tells him but lacks eye contact with him or Lavender. The only person she looks up at is Draco, and it's for help. "I can eat it, I like eating garlic. I'm kind of on a diet." She needs her cousins to help. She couldn't tell them too much. "Umm..."

Draco really doesn't want his cousin eating garlic at all since he knows of her allergy. Even if she eats garlic with bigger meals he gets scared for her life. But he is glad she hardly eats garlic. Only on occasions as she does need it. Everyone needs garlic in their system. "Ivy needs to have garlic with something else like tomato sauce or with a different meal otherwise she goes all red and puffy. She's also on a special diet. She needs to eat meat a lot, but also plant-based sides on her plate too. Mainly meat..."

"Oh," said Harry with a nod and he reaches for a few pieces of garlic bread for himself after he finished his pikelets some time ago. "I understand that. Is that all your allergic too?"

"Well... Look at the time. It's nearly time to go to our last classes of the day," Draco said rather quickly and decided what good a way to spend the rest of lunch, was with his boyfriend. And it's so the conversation stopped right there before it gets too dangerous. "C'mon Harry, don't want to be late." He got up and dragging Harry by the hand out of the Great Hall with a grin on his face.

Lavender waited until Draco and Harry were out of the hall. She leaned beside her to Ivy and whispered, "They do realize we have 30 more minutes until classes start, right?"

"Yeah, they probably couldn't help themselves," Ivy said with a smirk from where her cousin and Harry had disappeared to. "All we know, they probably are going to some secret place for a snogging session." She was thinking that they probably went to the secret gardens of Amare. "Come on. Let's go for a walk around the castle until classes do start."

"Okay," said Lavender and felt excited about the walk together, even if it was just a walk around the castle. But a walk with someone you like makes it even special. She wondered if Harry feels this way when with Draco.

Together they got up and walked out of the Great Hall but as they headed towards the Grand Staircase they were stopped by the Hogwarts Medical Witch, Madam Pomfrey. "Hello, girls, sorry to disturb your walk but can I please speak with you, Ivy?" she asked the young black-haired girl carefully, having a feeling she knows about the girls secret. "It'll only take a few moments."

Ivy smiled at the nurse but she could sense the nurse was a little curious and worried about her. "Of course, Madam Pomfrey," she said kindly and looked beside her at Lavender. "I'll see you soon, Lav. I'll be at the portrait into the Gryffindor common room." She let go of Lavender's hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Lavender blushed with a nod and turned away, hoping the medic witch won't keep Ivy long. She began the journey back to Gryffindor Tower where she will wait for Ivy there.

Ivy looked back at Madam Pomfrey, a little mad that the older witch had to split her and Lavender up for the day. She could sense this witch wanted to keep her longer than a moment'. "What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked and put on a smile. Whatever this is about she hoped would be important.

"Miss Black, can you tell me your age?" Madam Pomfrey asked carefully as she took the younger witch up towards the Hospital wing. The nerves burned through her as she hoped she was wrong about what Ivy could possibly... have.

"Um... I'm sixteen," Ivy told her, suddenly becoming aware that this medic witch might answer more dangerous questions about herself. She couldn't know... could she?"

"Your real age, Ivy," Madam Pomfrey said, knowing the young witch could become a little curious about her sudden questions. It's expected, she knows it. "You're immortal age."

"Immortal?" Ivy asked, forcing herself to sound confused. But she was confused. "Ma'am, nothing is immortal in the wizarding world. Everything dies. If something cannot die then that's just... impossible. Beings die, wizards and witches die, trees and bushes die. The moon and sun will probably die in the lengthy future."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. Ivy past that test. When they entered the hospital wing, she told Ivy to sit on the bed at the end of the room. "Ivy, I took your blood test that day when Draco and Harry found you and...," she trailed off and bit her lip. She looked at the girls' unnatural eyes and sighed. "Please take out your contact lenses, Miss Black."

Ivy began to feel a little anxious now. So, she did know? But how? The medic mentioned a blood test but was that true? Could magic find out what you possess? "Um..." she said, warily looking around the room for other students. When she saw nobody, she said, "Okay." She tilted her head back and took out one lense after the other and then looked at the medic witch."

Madam Pomfrey looked Ivy in her black eyes and nodded, smiling at the thought of having a being in Hogwarts and as a student. It excited her. Of course, over the years there have been a few students who are half and halves. "Okay," she said and when biting harder on her lip, she poked her thumb with a needle and watched as the girl's black eyes turned blood red.

"Madam Pomfrey, what are you doing!" Ivy snapped as she looked away, hissing at that delicious smell of the medics blood filled her nostrils and she could feel her fangs appear in her mouth. She's tried blood before. Human blood which the human let her feed of them so she wouldn't get in trouble by the ministry.

"How many people know that you're a vampire, Ivy?" Madam Pomfrey asked the young girl in front of her. She now understands the girl was born as a vampire. She wasn't turned otherwise it would be recorded in the Ministry's files. "And is your mother a vampire as well?" Ivy looked back at her, not wanting to hear anything about her own mother.

"Only Draco, Professor Dumbledore, and my mother know of what I am," Ivy said with an honest but forced smile, and her white pointy, sharp fangs were showed in the light of the Hospital Wing. "His parents don't know, same as Lavender and Harry. My mother is a vampire and a witch, yes. My father, who I've never known all my life must have been just a wizard."

"I see," said Madam Pomfrey, nodding as she fixed her bleeding finger with a simple spell. "I understand that vampires can't walk in the sunlight or they turn to ash but you somehow can. Would you care to explain it to me, dearie?"

Ivy hesitantly pulled the silver necklace out from under her long-sleeved uniform shirt and showed it to her. It was a silver chained necklace with a blue gemstone, also called a lapis lazuli, moulded into a pendant with silver. "I'm registered at the ministry as a vampire but they don't want anybody knowing about it. My real records are hidden in a secret compartment in my families manor. Everyone knows me as just Ivy Black, a witch. Not Ivy Black, a vampire-witch."

"About your last name..." Madam Pomfrey said and trailed off, knowing this young vampire isn't related to anyone from the Black family. She couldn't find what family Ivy comes from as she doesn't have the experience to find out. She watched the young witch's blood-red eyes turn back to pitch black but her fangs still remained. "You're not a member of the Black family, Ivy. Not by blood but by marriage."

Ivy frowned and laid back on the hospital bed she was seated on, and she looked up at the ceiling. So she's not a Black by blood but by marriage. "I understand that otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get past the wards surrounding the Black Manor. The family home of the three Black sisters. Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda, and Narcissa Malfoy. I've seen their bedrooms. I sleep in Bellatrix's since it's the nicest and it has more black in it."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "You say that Dumbledore knows of your fangs and bloodthirst," the medic witch said, and she tilted her head to the side a little as she reached forward, not showing any fear in what she was about to do, and she lifted the girl's lips up to get a better look at her pointy sharp fangs. "How does he know? And what's your diet?"

"Dumbledore knows about me because I had to tell him so he can protect me from everyone," Ivy told her a little hesitantly and tucked her necklace back in her uniform shirt and jumper until it hit her skin. The cold silver against her cold skin made her a little calmer. "My diet is the same as every student in this castle. But wherever I sit, a house-elf makes a bottle of blood which is in a ketchup bottle in front of me. I'm allowed to eat garlic but as long as it's covered in blood or something else then I can still eat it. I always get blood lollipops when I'm in Hogsmeade, and I'm always carrying a black water bottle with me every day which is filled with blood. I ask the elves for human blood for my water bottle and somehow they can get it for me in a blink of an eye."

"Knowing the good use of foundation I'm guessing you use it on yourself to make yourself a natural skin colour?" the medic witch asked and leaned away from her. "And about your age... I believe your age will start slowing down once you're out of Hogwarts?"

"Yes, and yes," Ivy said, nodding about those two questions the medic witch gave her. "I use foundation a lot but only on the parts of my body which will be seen by everyone else. It's why I wear jumpers a lot, but also to cover my... scars. Unfortunately, the age thing is correct but I don't want to stay young forever. I want to grow old with someone who I'll love forever."

Madam Pomfrey smiled at the young witch and her future dreams. She hopes those wishes will come true for Miss Ivy Black. "And your abilities?" she asked her. "Very fast and strong, ability to hear and smell something from ages away. What else can you do?"

"I can walk on walls and the roof," Ivy told her with a shrug, and without being told to do it, she stood up on the bed, went to the pillows and placed her foot on the white wall behind the small metal barred bed head. Her other foot joined the one on the wall and she started walking up the Hospital walls. She walked up until she was on the roof, her black hair flowing down underneath her and she looked down at the medic witch with a smile. "Oh, I also can do this like every other vampire."

In a little flash of black, instead of seeing Ivy on the roof, Madam Pomfrey saw a black fuzzy bat with blood-red eyes crawling around on the ceiling and the bat gave a little squeak. She smiled at the bat and watched it fly down, around her torso, and on the bed. The bat crawled around on the bed, just like a kitten would when finding a comfy seated position, and in another flash of black, it turned back to Ivy.

"Keep the transformation a secret, please?" Ivy asked of her sincerely. "Vamps like to keep that ability a secret. It's not known that vampires can transform into bats. It's not even in the books, besides the one about Count Dracula and that book is ancient. Dumbledore doesn't even know it, I think. Oh, and we can hide in the shadows fairly easily. It's like we're not even there. It's how I scare Draco for fun."

Madam Pomfrey nodded at the secret that she must keep to herself and laughed at what Ivy does for fun. It's intriguing to hear about the life of this little vampire. "About those fangs of yours... Are you able to control them or do they come out when you scent blood?"

Ivy smiled, showing her fangs. She shut her lips together then smiled again, her fangs had gone. "It's a little bit of both," she said with a shrug, her hands gripping onto the bed's mattress. "But yes, I can take them out whenever I want to and when I smell blood they too come out. I learn to control my powers when I was around eight years old. My mother taught me but when she had work she hired an actual full blooded vampire to teach me. He taught me everything I needed to know and how to control it all by the time I turned eight."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. She was going to ask the girl about her mother but thought that it shouldn't be talked about right now. "Okay. I'm sorry to have you answer these questions regarding your being but I had to make sure I was right. Your blood said it all too. I swear on my life that I won't tell a soul about what you've told me unless you want me too. That's actually all I wanted to talk about. You may go meet up with Miss Lavender Brown."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Ivy said with a smile. And while she flattened out the bed from where she had been sitting, the medic witch smiled and turned away. Then, with her vampire speed, she rushed away out of the Hospital Wing to Gryffindor Tower.

"I was going to ask-" Madam Pomfrey turned around, seeing that the Hospital Wing was empty. She smiled and went into the middle of the Hospital and looked through the doors and down the corridor. The girl was gone. She then knew Ivy must have sped off. Literally. She sighed and went back to her office to finish some healing potions she was in need of to stock up.

-

"Dracoooo, where are we going?" Harry asked with a prolonged 'o, still getting dragged by Draco to wherever he was taking him. He didn't mind where the handsome blonde Slytherin wizard was taking him as long as it was somewhere he can be alone with him, cuddling, kissing, and probably having fun. The last option excited him.

"You'll see, my beautiful Gryffindor," Draco replied while walking the direction towards the portrait to the secret garden with Harry. He admired how Harry was acting, like a child, which he didn't mind at all. It was rather cute.

Harry looked around and knew exactly where Draco was taking him by the hallway they just entered and the familiar large portrait they're coming up to. Te Garden of Amare. He liked being pulled by the Slytherin. No, he loved it.

"Nearly there," Draco said as they walked up to the portrait of a fake corridor. Draco and Harry looked around to make sure the coast was clear and with a little push of the torch, the portrait swung open and they walked inside. They couldn't be bothered with using a "Lumos" as they already knew the way through without a light. They passed the familiar roots and vines of the dark hallway until they got to the familiar-looking wooden door with a little badger on the doorknob. Draco pushed open the door to reveal the oh so familiar garden of Amare.

"It's just as lovely as it looks," Harry said with a yawn as he suddenly felt like going up to Gryffindor Tower for a lie-down. Why must sleep make him affected right now? He wanted to be with Draco all day long and this is his chance instead of boring homework where he can't get his thoughts away from Draco.

"So, you like this garden better than me, huh?" Draco asked curtly but with a smirk, trying to hide his sudden sadness at the thought of Harry saying 'yes. Merlin, it would hurt like hell. But he knows how much Harry loves him by the way Harry stares his way, or kisses and hugs him, or the way he moans his name during sex.

Harry looked at him and shook his head, not even knowing how his Slytherin boyfriend could think that. "You're beautiful, more lovely than the garden itself," He said truthfully with a genuine smile. "You are as beautiful as a red rose that blossoms on a spring day. Your eyes are like the full moon and the twinkeing stars on a beautiful night, shining over the horizon of oceans."

Draco felt himself blush and gave Harry a kiss on the nose. Damn Harry and his compliments which make him feel all warm and fluttery inside. "You are so adorable, Harry Potter," he said sweetly and watches as Harry's face and neck become a little red with a beautiful blush to it.

"So, what are we going to do whilst we're here?" Harry then asks him, looking down on his nose where Draco kissed him and feeling like he could cook eggs on his burning face. He probably could cook eggs with his blushing face.

Draco shrugged but then remembered one of the things they haven't explored together. The Maze. "We could explore the maze for some time," he suggested as it raised his curiosity and he wondered what lay in it unless it's just a normal maze. Could there be something in it? Like a prize? Or someplace romantic.

"That sounds like a plan," Harry said with a nod of agreement and moved closer to his boyfriend. He began thinking about the maze and what's in it too. Could it be a nice lovely maze with a gazebo in the centre, or could it be a scary maze with monsters on it? He hoped for the first option. He knows muggle mazes can be creepy. Especially corn mazes during the night.

Draco intertwined their hands together with a smile and started walking towards the maze with Harry. They passed the familiar fairy ring, the forest of unusual looking trees that aren't really from England until they got to the maze.

Harry looked up at the 50-meter tall maze, widening his eyes in amazement but also furrowing his brows confusion. "Wasn't it smaller last time?" he asked the blonde wizard whie tilting his head to the side. The maze looked bigger than the last time he saw it.

Draco smiled at Harry and his obliviousness. It's adorable, he admits. Even when Harry's playing dumb it's the cutest thing ever. "Mazes still grow, Harry," he reminded him in case Harry didn't know which he highly doubts Harry would forget. "Just like any other tree or bush."

"Shall we enter then?" Harry asked just to forget how silly he sounded so he gripped Draco's hand tighter while feeling kind of stupid from what he replied to the blonde Slytherin with. God... what a way to be an idiot in front of your own boyfriend. He wants to forget what he had said.

"Do you want to though?" Draco asked carefully as he had to ask just in case Harry didn't want to, for whatever reason. He didn't want to force him or anything. What if he had claustrophobia? Or a fear of mazes? But the look of curiousness Harry gave the maze told him that Harry isn't scared of mazes.

"Only if you want to," Harry responded back with a shrug. He really didn't care. The maze could have thousands of places to hide and he wouldn have even known it. It would serve as an excellent cutting place though he knew he shouldn't be thinking about that. He wondered how big the maze is on the inside if it is this tall.

Draco nodded and Harry smiled back. They entered the maze, discovering a little statue of Helga Hufflepuff comforting some person who looked sad. A little wary about the statue, they walked and walked until the maze started to form two different lanes leading away from each other. This meant the boys had to split up.

"Well, I guess this is it then," Draco said, looking to his left where the maze led which is where he had to go. He didn't want to leave Harry in one part of the maze alone. What if there were deadly creatures lurking in one of the passageways? No, he shouldn't think about that. This seems like a happy maze, besides the statue.

"Yeah, I'll see you in the middle?" Harry said sadly. It wasn't a question. He hesitated for a minute and looked to the ground. What if he gets lost and isn't able to get out? And if he does get lost how will he feed himself and where could water be?

"Yeah," Draco said, turning back to his boyfriend and seeing the frown planted on his face. He rolled his eyes and thought Gryffindors. Where is their bravery and courage at times? "Come here, Harry." He opened his arms to Harry for a nice comforting hug. Harry smiled sadly and hugged his boyfriend tightly.

Harry jumping on him with his arms around his neck and kissed him like he would never see him again. Draco nearly fell over but kissed back passionately and cupped his hands over Harry's cheek. As they both let go of the kiss, they couldn't help but look into each other's beautiful eyes and smile at each other.

Harry started walking to his right into his side of the maze, turned around to face Draco and shouted, "See you in the middle!"

"Not if I get there first," Draco shouted back, smirking at the thought of the challenge he must beat Harry to. This is going to be so much fun.

Draco and Harry entered through their parts of the maze, Draco to the right, Harry to the left. The maze sealed off the entranceway so they can't go back.

-

Harry looked back at the maze that sealed him in and sighed. He guesses he cannot turn back now. He looked up at the skylights, seeing the nice blue sky above him. He decided to start walking, making a left and a right until he came to a long narrow part of the maze which seemed like it goes on forever.

He heard a massive strike of thunder and looked up instinctively, seeing the nice blue sky replaced by a dark thundery night sky. It was confusing. Frist a clear sky and now a dark stormy sky? What is the meaning of this? He was about to take a step but looked down and saw a little puddle of what looked like silvery goo.

Harry studied the goo, dipped a finger in it, took it out and watched it ooze down his fingers and knew it was unicorn blood. Could Unicorns be around here? Can they somehow get into Hogwarts? He looked around his surroundings, not seeing any dead unicorn at all. Strange, he thought as he stepped over the puddle and kept on walking.

Then, he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from somewhere within the maze. Draco? he thought with a frown. No, that wasn't Draco. Draco can't sound that girly. Then it hit him and he knew that voice sounded like Hermione. He ran towards the sound of Hermione's screams but then he heard a male's scream. " Hermione? Ron?!" he shouted. "Where are you guys."

Harry started to panic. He hated hearing screams coming from people, especially in muggle movies because it's when they're getting...killed. Perhaps this maze wasn't meant to be entered? He heard the familiar screams from Ron and Hermione again, and then there was silence. God. He hated this so much.

He started running through the maze, turning left, right, left again, and left again until he came to a squared section looking like a small park. But what he saw devastated him. Hermione and Ron were there, but they were hanging by their necks from a branch of a tree looking lifeless. Hermione had her neck split open with blood gushing down her robes and Ron had a large cut on his stomach where his guts dropped out on the floor. What's even worse was the flies hanging around his best friends.

Harry screamed for help, begging someone to come to find him but all he could muster was a screech. He started crying, feeling more and more tears come from his eyes that ran down his cheeks like a river. He began to shake, tremble, and fall to the ground. He just couldn't take this sight any longer. What happened to them? What kind of monster would do this?

He looked around at his surroundings and saw the silhouette of a person. That person came out from the darkness of a corner, walking towards him and that's when he recognized who it was. It was himself, blood all over his Gryffindor school robes, glasses broken, a pocket knife as well as his wand in his hand and a devilish smile planted on his face with blood-red eyes.

"No..." Harry choked, moving away from the figure of himself who was coming towards him. He started to feel a familiar loud buzzing noise in his ears. He couldn't take it. The noise was so loud he couldn't hear what the figure of himself was saying. All he really could hear was, "It's all your fault."

He started doing his anxiety attack breathing exercises, even if he was in a really dire situation but it did help. He cleared his throat and crawled backwards until he was directly in front of the deceased Hermione and Ron. He looked up at Hermione and Ron in terror.

"How could you do this to us?" Hermione asked him as blood still rushed down her clothes. Some of it dropped onto Harry's forehead, scarring him with her blood.

"I thought we were friends," Ron said as an organ fell out of his stomach onto the floor with a 'plop' beside Harry. It was his liver.

Harry nearly threw up but managed not to by biting onto his lip hard and holding in his vomit and he wiped Hermione's blood off his forehead. He gathered up all the courage and energy he had and ran out of that part of the maze. He was still crying his eyes out, but he needed to run and get away from that horrid scene.

He ran and ran, twisting ever corner, turning left and right until he came to a small room looking place. He entered, looking around and thankfully seeing nothing horrible. He sat in a corner and cried, cried until he had no tears left. He just wanted Draco here with him to hug, to cuddle, to kiss.

When Harry finished crying, he looked up and saw a couple of Television-like things on the walls, the roof, everywhere. They were like holograms. Clear holograms but on a floating whiteboard. One of them was showing his past self-back at the Dursleys, sleeping under the stairs. Then it got more triggering. He saw himself being beaten up by Dudley like some punching bag and it was just for fun.

Uncle Dursley was hitting and belting him on his back while Aunt Petunia snickered as she watched Harry's past self get beaten. Harry was five, sitting in the middle of Dudley's train track, playing with Thomas the Tank Engine while the tv was playing the Beatles song 'Hey Jude' and Dudley skipped into the room and kicked everything around then shouted for his mother and father to help. He had blamed Harry for messing up his train set, and Uncle Vernon had come in with his belt and belted Harry over the back.

Another one showed him just doing his own thing but then getting shouted out for getting dirt on the floor when it was actually Dudley who did it and another one showed his past self being starved by the Dursleys. Images of his past self suffering from the abuse of the Dursleys all came on the TV, making him feel miserable as he watched them.

Harry really wanted someone to hold on and cry on. Draco, he needed Draco. He wanted to tell him everything so he can get it off his chest. He could even go to one of those Psychiatrist meeting things with Ivy. It sounds alright.

He chose to get back up and try to walk through this hell maze without. He began walking through the maze; turning left, right, left, and right again. What he wanted to know is why such a hell of a maze could be in such a beautiful garden. He hasn't the slightest idea why anyone, not even Helga Hufflepuff would put such a maze in this garden of Amare.

Harry kept hearing the screams of Hermione and Ron throughout the maze. He wondered wherever Draco was, he could probably hear the screams too. He hoped the fuck not. He sped up his pace, hoping he won't encounter anything else that would trigger him or just make him feel bad. But then 'Bump!'

Harry looked up and saw a floating deceased Hermione, but luckily her back was facing him. He slowly backed away until he felt something squish under his foot. He turned his head right around and was face to face with a deceased white-faced Ron. Harry shrieked and ran for his life. He hated seeing this, it was like he was living in a nightmare.

He ran further and further away from them until he came to a dead end. He sank down to his feet with his back against the wall and watched ahead of him, watching the deceased Ron and Hermione slowly come into view. He began crying again, feeling as if this was it, the end of him.

"Harry?!" a familiar voice said. Harry looked up with his tear-stained cheek, seeing the person he wanted the most to come and rescue him. He watched as the boy took out his wand, aimed it at Hermione and Ron and fired a spell.

"REDUCTO!"

⚠ It is safe now :3⚠

-

Draco watched as the maze sealed himself in so he decided to begin walking. He doesn't know when he would be able to see Harry again, but he knows he will. Whatever happens, they will see each other in the end. When walking further into the maze, it began twisting and turning. Turning left, right, left, left again and right. It just kept on twisting and turning until he got to this park looking room.

Inside the park, he saw his mother and father. Except mother was on the ground backing up from someone, and that someone was his father. He shouted, "NO!" They looked his way, tears stained on his mother's face and anger and hatred all over his fathers face but then they both just faded into oblivion.

Draco felt a single tear run down his cheek from what he saw. Was his father going to hurt his mother? He didn't want to believe it so he scanned the room for them but didn't see them. He felt relieved that was not real but then he thought about Harry and how this maze was affecting him. Or how it could be affecting him. He didn't exactly know.

Just then, like the maze was listening to his thoughts, he saw Harry. Harry wasn't actually physically there though; it was like a wizard's photo. Then he realized that this was Harry before we went into the maze and when they kissed. He smiled at that memory of Harry's soft warm lips on his own. Then the weird rectangular thing showed Harry after the hedge sealed him in, then when he discovered the ooze on the floor. Merlin's Beard...

Draco watched as Harry walked into the park. It looked like the one he was in. Draco scanned the room he was in but didn't see Harry. He sighed sadly, wanting to be with him. Then he saw the most disturbing thing he has ever seen in his life. Weasley and Granger were dead. He watched Harry's expression, seeing his two deceased friends and felt tears sting his eyes. Oh, Harry. How he wished he were there with him. He tried to touch the rectangular thing, but his hand went straight through it.

He saw everything that made Harry feel so bad, his evil self-covered with blood, Harry's two friends who were talking to Harry. He watched as Harry ran from that place. Good Merlin. That's what Harry should have done all along.

Draco watched Harry run into another place that looked like a room and he saw everything that Harry was made to watch over again. The beatings, the abuse, his self-harming, the starving. Everything. He felt so angry at Harry's relatives. He wanted to sue them and to send them off to Azkaban.

He watched as Harry ran from that room, running away and coming to a dead end. He watched as his deceased friends followed him. He wanted to see Harry right now! He wants to help him, guide him into happiness. "I love him!" he shouted at the walls like they were keeping him from seeing his Harry in pain. "Please!" He held down a bucket of tears but they all rushed down his face. If his father saw him right now, he'd say, 'Malfoy's don't cry'. But Malfoy's don't cry my ass.

Just like earlier, the maze must have heard his cries and the maze made a hedge tunnel appear. He began to follow it quickly, from a walk into a run. He ran down the tunnel until it came to a stop. "Please!" I shouted, face full of tears. The maze then created an archway and there I saw Harry. He was sitting against the hedge, his back against the wall, crying. "Harry?"

Harry slowly turned to look at him. Draco could see the horror and fright on his face. Harry was shaking, trembling and Draco wished they never entered into the darn maze in the first place. He saw the tears streaming down Harry's beautiful face. He quickly made his way through the archway, grabbing his wand and pointing it to the deceased Weasley and Granger and shouted "REDUCTO!" at them.

The deceased friends of Harry both blew into pieces then faded away like dust.

Draco sighed in relief and ran up to him, embracing him into a warm hug. All he knows is that Harry needed one, more than he did. "Oh, Harry." I didn't know what to say to him, so I just aced it. "Harry, I saw everything," he said and sat down beside him. "Why didn't you tell me about all this? I've asked you to tell me anything and everything about you and why you're depressed. I wish you could have told me this, instead of me finding it out this way. I love you, Harry James Potter."

Harry just looked at Draco with a tear-stained face. He leaned into Draco's warm comforting body and just lay there. "I'm sorry, Draco," he started sobbing, feeling his mental walls collapse. "I've always wanted to but never knew when to, I don't want to ruin our romantic moments together. I know it's no reason to not tell you... I love you too, so sodding much."

Draco kissed him on the cheek and let Harry lean his head on his shoulder. "I love you too but we should get out of this maze," he said as he nudged Harry off, helped him up to his feet and placed a protective arm around him. The maze created a yellow portal-like thing a few meters from where Harry and Draco stood. Draco took his chances, held Harry's hand, and went through the portal.

The portal took them back to the gardens and into the Gazebo where birds were happily chirping, and butterflies were swarming the flower bushes. "Do you want to talk here?" Draco asked, smiling sadly at Harry.

Harry nodded, sat down on the gazebo seat, and started from the beginning, letting more tears run down his face. "A-as you know, V-Voldemort killed my p-parents." Draco nodded. "So, when S-Snape found me he g-gave me to Dumbledore, who gave me to my m-mother's muggle sister, P-Petunia. Aunt Petunia was always j-jealous of my m-mother, being a witch and all. Uncle V-Vernon and Aunt Petunia also had a k-kid and treated him like a king, leaving me as their s-slave."

Draco looked at Harry sadly, wondering why someone so amazing could be treated so badly like a house-elf. Harry sniffed, leaned closer to Draco and continued, "So, as I got older, they always made me do servant stuff. C-cleaning, gardening, ironing, cooking. I-if I do something badly, Uncle Vernon would... h-hit me or b-belt me. I- was teased as a kid, 'cause of my scar... and... I never had it easy. But that won't excuse all the things that he did to me. I couldn't accept that I was never accepted at their house or even in the muggle world. Because I had shed too many tears, I fell into... this depression. I was called names but it was all the same. I was feeling so rejected by everyone."

Draco rubbed soothing circles on Harry's back to calm him down. "Shh, It's okay," he said in a soothing voice. "You're safe here, Harry. I love you so much, Harry James Potter and you should know that." He kissed him on the cheek and leaned his head against Harry's.

Harry wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. Draco saw a glimpse of red from Harry's wrist and felt so sad. Who could treat someone so innocent like that?! He felt anger boil through his veins. If he gets his hands on this Dursley family, he swears he will make their life a living hell!

Harry saw Draco staring at his cuts and rolled down his sleeves past his hands. Dang it... "I'm sorry..." he managed to say, frowning at being caught with his cuts. It's the first time, besides Ivy, that has ever seen his cuts. "I love you too, Draco."

"Don't be sorry," Draco said softly with a shake of his head. Harry's the one who shouldn't be sorry. It's those no-good relatives of Harry's. He leaned forward and gave him a slow kiss on the nose. "It's not your fault, Darling."

Harry forced a smile from Draco's little loving gesture and he deliberately cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, so the Dursleys are great!" he said sarcastically with a quick disgusted snort. He wanted to burn their house down to the ground.

Draco gave a little laugh at Harry for his sarcasm. It was cute but unfortunately very untrue. The Dursley's are just cruel and are probably worse than his Death Eater of an Auntie. Bellatrix Lestrange. "So, would you be willing to join Ivy in a psychiatrist appointment on Monday?" he asked him while hoping for a positive answer from his boyfriend who definitely needed therapy.

Harry nodded, staring blankly at the flower meadow. He will do it for Draco. It sounds scary, talking about his life back at the Dursley's to a complete stranger and even worse, an adult, but he will do it. It's all for Draco, Ivy, and himself.

"Great!" Draco beamed at the answer he had been waiting for. This excited him. "Do you want me to come with, just to hold your hand or hug or cuddle with?" He would love to accompany Harry on one of his therapy appointments. It would be fun getting to know exactly how the professionals do it.

"Sure, I'd love to have your company," Harry said with a tired smile and a nod as he knows he won't be able to do it alone. He would need his boyfriend there to comfort him. He really didn't know about this therapy appointment thing and if he should do it, but he would do anything for Draco. And he will do ii for Ivy too so she's not doing it alone too.

Draco smiled widely at Harry and gave him another kiss on the cheek in approval of this. "Harry, I am so proud of you for telling me this instead of bottling it all up inside." He grabbed ahold of Harry's chin, so Harry would look him in the eye. "You are so brave, kind, caring, beautiful, smart - in your own way. You are loved by so many people, Harry. I love you and I'd hate to see you disappear from existence." He felt tears form in his eyes at that depressing thought but blinked them away.

Harry leaned over, kissed Draco's cheek, and looked back into silver eyes with a small loving smile. God, Draco doesn't know how much he loves him from the bottom of his heart. After all, he is a bottom. "Tell me about your parents. Your father first."

"Father is a complete pain in the bottom when it comes to me having to live up to Malfoy standards, but he's alright," Draco told him. "He may worship He-who-shall-not-be-named, which I hate him for, but he is still my father. He just wants me to be a 'Malfoy' and produce an heir for the future, which I don't want and will not do."

Harry forced a little chuckle and leaned his head on Draco's shoulder, staring in front of them towards the Flower Meadow. "That's my rebel boyfriend," he said and gave a half-smirk at his boyfriend. "And your mother?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer Harry but was cut off when Dobby the house-elf popped up right in front of them. "Dobby wants to say that bad thing has already happened and was in that very maze," he told the Slytherin and Gryffindor nervously. "Dobby isn't too happy about it, and it wasn't Dobby's fault at all. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy let Miss Ivy Black into the Gardens of Amare and had to pay the consequence. Maze was the consequence."

"Do you mean to tell us that that maze was our only consequence?" Draco asked the elf in disbelief. At least he and Harry know not to go back in it. Who knows what else it could hold inside the walls of the maze?

Dobby nodded at the Slytherin's question. "Dobby says maze is only consequence but don't judge the garden," he said and warned them of ever judging the Garden from its true power. "Maze is now safe to go into if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy want to. Maze doesn't hold negative energy anymore otherwise Dobby can sense it. That is all Dobby had to say. Dobby must leave." and then he was gone with a 'pop'.

Draco looked back into Harry's eyes. He's glad that maze thing was over and done with although he is also glad that everything inside the maze happened. Besides Harry's deceased friends. He would have rather Harry tell him about the abuse and suffering instead of the maze. He smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him, which Harry kissed back. His nerves were buzzing with excitement, everything around him didn't matter anymore besides the slide of Harry's warm soft lips against his own. He cupped his hand over Harry's cheek, Harry slid his hands up and around Draco's neck, bringing him closer. Draco wanted more by using his tongue and licked Harry's bottom lip, asking for entrance and finally, he got it. He slid his tongue inside Harry's mouth, tasting and loving him with everything he had.

Harry and Draco eventually pulled out of the kiss for air with red chapped lips and stared into each other's eyes. They leaned their heads on one another, staring into the distance towards the meadow of flowers.

Draco ended the moment of silence with a kiss on Harry's cheek, making the Gryffindor chuckle. Satisfied with Harry's chuckle, he asked, "Do you want to head back now?" He reached up and brushed away a few strands of Harry's fringe from his green eyes. "I'm sure lunch is nearly over or it is already over. We could be possibly late for our next class."

Harry nodded on Draco's shoulder. He turned his head upwards, placing his chin on Draco's shoulder and he gave a little kiss to the Slytherin's neck. "Yeah, I am actually looking forward to our evening classes," he said to Draco's ear. "Do we have Herbology or charms?"

"We would have Charms now," Draco said as he turned his head to the side to see Harry with half-open eyes. He adores his boyfriend so much. He gave both of Harry's half-closed eyelids a kiss which made Harry's eyes snap open and look at him. It was so hard not to look away. He wondered what new plant and spell they would learn about this afternoon.

"Let's get going then," Harry said softly as he got up off the chair and held out his hand for Draco. The Slytherin happily took Harry's hand in his and they walked towards the Garden's exit together. "We don't want a whole lot of points off for coming late." Harry raised their enclosed hands to his mouth and kissed the back of Draco's hand while looking up at the blonde into his silver eyes. Anything adorable Darco does would always make him feel a little better, even if he had a stressful, lonely, depressing day.

Draco smiled at Harry's adorable little gesture as they exited the gardens through the rooted doorway, down the dark passageway and out the portrait. When they reached the Charms classroom and opened the large wooden doors, all their classmates had turned their attention around to stare at them. Draco ignored all the stares and pulled Harry to an empty table.

The professor looked over from his desk at his students. "Ah boys, it's nice of you to join us," he said and pointed to a desk at the back where it was empty. "You both were only five minutes from being late. But on with the lesson. Can anyone tell me what the charm 'Hastio' is?"

Of course, the very hand that had shot up first was Hermione's. Professor Flitwick smiled at his pupil who knows pretty much everything before she comes into class. "Yes, Miss Granger?" asked the professor.

"The spell 'Hastio' is a charm that is used whenever you need to get to places fast," Hermione said proudly. "It basically makes you run 10x faster than you normally can. However, using the charm in events such as races and muggle triathlons will have consequences."

"Very good, Miss Granger," said the tiny professor in his squeaky voice. "20 points to Gryffindor!" Then he shouted. "Hastio!" In a matter of seconds, the tiny Professor was running around the room at a very fast pace. He was so fast-paced he could have easily run past you in a blink of an eye. And then the tiny professor stopped in the middle of the classroom. "And that, students, is the Hastio charm," the Professor said, catching his breath like he just ran a marathon.

Everyone clapped for the professor and smiled greatly. "Now, we're all going to go out into the Quidditch pitch and practice there," said the tiny professor. "That is so nobody breaks anything. Let's be on our way!"

*****

"I'm so happy that was over!" Draco groaned, jumping onto the Slytherin common room couch and hugged his knees up to his chest. He's exhausted from Charms class. He hasn't run in ages, not even that fast. "I swear to Salazar Slytherin himself, that was a very intense class."

"Did you see how fast the Professor ran, even we couldn't catch up to him when using the 'Hastio' charm," Harry said, laughing back tears of joy and sitting next to Draco. He snuggled into Draco's side while Draco placed an arm around his shoulders. They both stared into each other's eyes and before they knew it, they were leaning in for a kiss.

"Hey Dra-," Pansy said but hesitated, looking across the room and seeing not just a Slytherin, but a Gryffindor in the Slytherin's common room kissing her best friend. She smiled at the two, wondering if this is her first time seeing the two in the Slytherin common room together. Was it or had she forgotten the other times?

The two boys didn't even realize Pansy was in the room but even if they did they wouldn't care. The Slytherin common room was empty from when they first entered, so they knew they could do a few things without being seen. One of those things was Harry sliding his hand down Draco's stomach and under the waistband of the Slytherin's jeans while they continue kissing, and Draco's tongue was down Harry's throat.

Pansy's eyes widened a little and she backed away from the sight she was seeing. Merlin... She didn't want to see anything else and definitely not any kind of moans from her friends. "I'm off to Herbology now," she whispered to them but was only managed to gain Draco's attention.

Draco, his tongue still down Harry's throat, opened his eyes and looked with his eyes at Pansy. He smirked during the kiss and shooed her off with a wave of his hand which was doing nothing but decided to cup Harry's cheek. It was all he could do beside moan in Harry's mouth from the touch of Harry's hand exploring down his body.

Pansy rolled her eyes at Draco and decided to leave then. She didn't want to witness anything. Oh... but does this mean they're coming closer to having sex? Whenever that does happen she hopes Draco will tell her so she can give him a 'Congrats for losing your virginity' present to him.

Harry's hand slipped down into Draco's boxers until his hand touched something hard and someone moaned. He realized it was himself who moaned. He was touching his boyfriend's most pleasing spot after all. And pleasing he really wanted to do. He ran his hand along as much of Draco's length as he could that he could reach. He suddenly leaned away, the taste of Draco's saliva pooling in his mouth made him a little harder and the fact that his hand was touching his favourite sexual part of Draco.

He looked around the room, seeing nobody still. He had heard Pansy before but that didn't matter anymore as she's gone. He looked back at Draco and fumbled to pull down Draco's pants and white boxers together. He looked down and licked his lips at the cock that jumped out and into his line of sight. He leaned down, scenting the Slytherin's musky smell from his cock, pressed Draco's cock to the grey school jumper and licked from the base of his cock up to the velvety head.

Draco sighed with pleasure and moved his hands to Harry's hair where he threaded his fingers through his boyfriend's dark hair, telling him non-verbally to keep ongoing. Harry's tongue licked across the velvety head which dripped pre-come and he licked it off, the taste of Draco's salty sweetness entering his mouth and spreading just as he opens his mouth and accompanies a few inches of cock waiting to be sucked dry.

Draco moans and tilts his head backwards on the black leather couch, looking up at the ceiling while feeling his Gryffindor boyfriend's mouth do incredible things to his cock. He grips Harry's hair harder, earning a growl from below him but he keeps at it. "Harry," he moans as he just remembers they're not exactly free to do anything yet. "Herbology."

Harry gives the head an affectionate little lick, feeling his own cock harden just by touching and licking his boyfriend's one. He just didn't want to stop. Draco's just too delicious for him to stop and he wants to swallow every little drop of semen that the Slytherin will shoot into his mouth in a few three or five minutes time. He wants his breath to smell like Draco, and his mouth to taste like Draco. After a few little licks of the head, he leans back and stares at the flushed face of Draco Malfoy, feeling satisfied that he can make Draco feel certain things. "I'll be getting what I want after class, by the way."

Draco's mouthparts a little and then he nods. "Of course, my darling," he whispers to his boyfriend with a shaky smile. Merlin... he could have just came then by what Harry said. He wants to come in that perfect mouth of Harry's more than anything but education matters more than fun at the moment. He and Harry can continue where they left off after class.

Harry smiles, leans down to place a kiss on the head but after, places Draco's cock back into his boxers and pants. He looks into the eyes of his lover with lust-filled green eyes and says, "Let's go, my love."

They slowly get up from the couch though they still felt the last inside of them, intertwined their hands and headed out of the Slytherin common room. But before they made it to the secret entrance, Harry pinned Draco to the wall. Harry restrained Draco's hands to the wall, just above his shoulders. He smiled at the powerless boy in front of him and kissed him hard.

Draco smirked in the kiss, tasting a little bit of himself but he didn't mind it, not feeling powerless. He deepened the kiss, letting an "mmm" escape from his throat from both the kiss but also from Harry's body being pushed up against his. He licked Harry's bottom lip as he wanted entrance, but Harry began to fight for entrance also.

He likes this challenge very much and finally, after tongues battled, Draco slipped his tongue inside Harry's mouth and began exploring. He used as much strength as he could and turned Harry around, so Harry was the one pinned to the wall. He would have smirked but was too busy endlessly tasting Harry. He pinned Harry's hands up on the wall and pressed himself hard against Harry.

Harry let out a moan; he felt powerless and having Draco take control and press himself up against him made him hard. He could feel how hard Draco was. He was nearly as hard as a metal pole. Draco's hot wet tongue exploring his mouth felt so bloody amazing and he knew that deep inside, he wanted more. He wanted to skip Herbology so he and Draco had the rest of the evening to themselves to do whatever they want.

Draco lowered his hands from Harry's and began curling them through Harry's soft hair, slowly pulling Harry's head back so he could explore Harry's mouth deeper. Merlin, he wants him now. He could feel it. It's not just him that wants it. It's his penis. It wants to come in Harry both ways. Into Harry's mouth and in his arse like the first time they made love together.

Harry took this as an advantage and turned him and Draco back around again, restraining Draco to the wall again. He smirked at the Slytherin, gave him a quick peck, and wandered back up the stairs to the Slytherin common room's secret entrance. His lips felt like they had been pumping weights – if that was possible but it felt utterly amazing.

Draco sighed as he lay with his back against the wall. He enjoyed tasting Harry so much and wanted more. He watched the Gryffindor stroll up the stairs with a loving smile and walked off after him. As he walked up behind his boyfriend, he snaked his arms around his waist. "We really should head to class as we don't want to be late, my darling."

Harry smiled at the embrace and rested his hands on top of Draco's which lay on his stomach. He intertwined their hands together and turned around, noticing how red and swollen the Slytherin's lips were. He smiled lovingly, muttered the Slytherin password and kissed the boy on the cheek quickly.

They headed out of the Dungeons to the Herbology side of the castle. As they got to the greenhouses, Professor sprout was setting pots of flowers down in the middle of the long table and a few Gryffindor and Slytherin students were already there.

"Good evening class," said Professor sprout in her usual bubbly and light tone. "We're going to be taking care of muggle flowers. Why? Because we all need to know about muggles as well as our kind. Now, I'd like everyone to form groups, please."

As instructed, every student made partners. Draco with Harry, although they were already stood together. Blaise and Ron, Seamus and Dean, Pansy and Hermione and so on.

"Good, now, the flowers I have here are all planted and ready to be taken care of. That flower over there is called a Lily" The professor pointed to a white bulbous plant with large trumpet-shaped, typically fragrant, flowers on a tall, slender stem. "And that plant over there is called an azalea." The professor pointed to a deciduous flowering shrub with clusters of brightly coloured petals. "That flower over there is called a Rhododendron." The professor pointed over to a shrub with large clusters of bell-shaped flowers and large evergreen leaves. After about 10 minutes of Professor Sprout explaining what flowers are on the table, everyone had to pick a flower to take care of together with their partner.

"So, Harry, what kind of flower would you like?" Draco asked him while looking deeply into Harry's eyes, remembering what they had started earlier before Herbology. He could still feel Harry's saliva on his cock and he wanted nothing more than for Harry to get under the table and finish the job. But that had to wait an hour or more. With the lesson, he wanted to pick the prettiest flower for Harry. But no flower was prettier than the guy he stood next to.

"I'm not sure," Harry said with a shrug and gave him a loving look, knowing Draco was to pick the prettiest flower. "We could go for a hibiscus or a rose." Although, he knew that the rose would look stunning on Draco, as it always has been. The hibiscus is nice since it is a tropical flower but the rose has more meaning and romance.

Draco thought for a moment before grabbing the Hibiscus. "Perfect, it's beautiful just like you," he whispered into Harry's ears. He had grabbed the hibiscus as it is associated with wealth, fame, or glory which is exactly like Harry. And it also symbolises youth, delicate beauty and perfection. It just says 'Harry Potter' on its beautiful petals and leaves.

Harry felt his blush recoil on his face and couldn't find the right words to say. His blonde Slytherin could always make him feel so loved and he adores it. He adores Draco and all his perfect imperfections. He didn't know if people overheard Draco or not, so he just looked down with a big goofy smile on his face.

"Just a simple 'Thank You Draco' will do, Harry," Draco said, chuckling softly at his speechless boyfriend and reached to his side to cup Harry's cheek. He caressed his green-eye Gryffindor boyfriend's cheek and watched Harry press his cheek into his hand. He smiled sweetly and gave Harry's cheek a gentle kiss while nobody was watching.

Harry felt his face burn deeper with the same blush. Where are some eggs? He will literally try cooking some eggs on his face right now. But he doesn't want his classmates laughing at him if that does actually happen. "Thank you," he mumbled, still staring at the table in front of them.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Draco said with a smirk, holding his hand behind his ear even though he heard Harry quite well. He couldn't help but smirk at the eye roll Harry gave him. Oh, that eye roll. He'll give Harry heaven tonight because of it.

"Thank you, Draco," Harry repeated a little louder, turned to face him with his hands reaching up to the Slytherin's neck and pulled him into a quick kiss just to shut him up. He leaned away just so they don't put on a show and have Professor Sprout scold them for kissing in her class, and just smiled at him.

"You're welcome, Harry," Draco said with a slow smile that builds and was a little surprised by the kiss Harry gave him. Merlin... He's always surprised by Harry's kisses because they do surprise him and make him feel incredible and nervous and fluttery inside. Sometimes it's all hard to explain the feeling when Harry kisses him.

"So, class, all you have to do is water and fertilizer your plants," Professor Sprout explained. "It is recommended to water them once a day, the morning is the best time. Fertilize them once a week otherwise the excess fertilizer alters the soil by creating a too high salt concentration, and this can hurt beneficial soil microorganisms." Everyone in the class beside Hermione, Dean, and Neville was confused with what the professor had said.

"Soil micro what?" Ron asked Blaise in a whisper but the Italian Slytherin only chuckled at him.

"What's a salt concentration?" Seamus asked his boyfriend in a low voice, furrowing his eyebrows as he's just so confused about this all. "How can salt have concentration? It's not a living thing!"

"I'll tell you after class, Seamus," Dean whispered back to him, smiling slightly at his confused boyfriend. Seems like muggle gardening does pay off after all.

"Overfertilization can lead to sudden plant growth with an insufficient root system to supply adequate water and nutrients to the plant," the professor continued on, making most of her class even more confused. "These tiny white and yellow balls are the fertilizer. I highly recommend not eating them as they would make you very sick. That is all for today class, thank you."

"What a tiring day," Harry said while letting a yawn escape his mouth as he was heading down to the Great Hall with Draco by his side, holding his hand and smiling. But what he was looking forward to was after dinner with Draco.

Draco melted when seeing his boyfriend yawn as it was so attractive and cute. Then he realized he was staring and caught up to Harry "So, who's going to take care of the plant?" he asked, trying to take his mind off having a sleeping Harry wake up next to him again after a beautiful night of fun under the covers of his bedsheets or Harry's.

"How about we take turns?" Harry suggested and breathes in the sudden smell of chicken and wraps coming from the Great Hall. He now knows how hungry he is. "I take this week and you do next week, and we repeat."

"Okay, it's a deal," Draco said with a warm smile and shook their intertwined hands up and down like he was giving Harry a handshake. "So..." He smirked at the sudden thought of after the dinner events with Harry. "Where are we going to go for our... fun later on tonight?"

"How about yours for a change?" Harry asks him, looking beside him at the smirk planted on his boyfriend's face. Usually, it represents Draco is up to something but he knows his Slytherin thinking about sudden things that can happen in beds but which one. "I'll bring my invisibility cloak, a towel, and pajamas for myself."

"That sounds like a great plan," Draco says with a nod, agreeing with the change of setting and beds. He'd like to have Harry naked on his bed again but this time making love with him for what feels like hours until he comes inside of his boyfriend. He loved the look on Harry's face when he first enters his arse, and when he's coming in him. It's beautiful.

As the two boys progressed to the Great Hall, they decided they will have a quick and little meal so they can have their fun sooner than later. Without hesitation, they sat at the Gryffindor table and began piling food on their plates.

Harry stole a curried egg from Draco's plate just for fun and ate it with a grin. He likes stealing food from Draco. It's just so much fun and he would do it again and again when he can.

"Heeeeey, those are my eggs you little sneaky bugger!" Draco said with a prolonged 'e', swatting Harry's hands away as he quickly ate the rest of his eggs and was thinking of a plan to get Harry back. Maybe tonight in bed h can get Harry back a different way.

Harry smiled cheekily at Draco, knowing somehow Draco will get him back unexpectantly. He had to keep an eye on his Slytherin boyfriend. Constant Vigilance! Maybe he really should be listening to Professor Moody's weird lessons. He can hear his professor shouting "Constant Vigilance!" at him in his mind.

Draco pilled a fish cake onto his plate, squirted some lemon juice on it and began eating. Harry was thinking of stealing Draco's fish cake, but he decided to just leave it and eat the Mashed Potatoes and sausage that lay on his plate.

Draco began to wonder what he and Harry can do on their date in the muggle world. But he and Harry cannot use magic out of Hogwarts, of course. Unless he wants to have his wand taken off him which will never happen. He knows the rules and laws of the Wizarding World and will never break them.

Oh, he can take Harry shopping if he finds the muggle shopping stores, maybe ice skating if the muggles have a frozen pond but he doubts they do since it is spring right now. He and Harry can just go for a walk around London, go to restaurants without being stared at. He realized they can do anything!

So, Harry and Draco continued eating their dinner, eventually started flirting, and small talking to each other. As they got up and left the Great Hall, Draco gave Harry a wink and said, "Be quick, Harry. I'll be waiting for you. All of me."

Harry swallowed a groan and gave Draco a smile and a nod, excited for tonight's fun time. He was about to turn around and head towards the Gryffindor tower until Cedric came up to him.

"Harry, it's great seeing you again," Cedric said with his charming smile after witnessing something he knew was exciting for Harry, and he wondered if it was Harry's first time. But that's also why he's here to see Harry. But not just that. "I see your relationship with the Blonde has progressed into something more?"

Harry felt himself blush both at the thought of Draco and the feeling that Cedric knows. But how could he know? He hasn't told anyone besides Seamus and Dean of his sexual experiences with Draco. "Yes, yes it has," he said and gave the Hufflepuff a nod.

"That's wonderful!" Cedric said, beaming at the young Gryffindor. "But, that's not half of what I'm here to talk about, Harry. It's about the third task. On Monday, before classes start, we have to meet the minister of Magic and Crouch and talk about the third task."

"Okay, thank you for telling me this Cedric," Harry said gratefully, giving the Hufflepuff a smile that lit up his face. He is thankful for having such a great Hufflepuff friend. But right now he really wants to go and get the stuff he needs for staying over with Draco.

"It's no problem, Harry," Cedric said with a dismissed hand wave. Then he hesitated, bit his lip and looked to the floor. It took a moment for him to gather his own thoughts. "If you want to talk to me about anything, anything at all related to..." His face became a little pink from even thinking about it. "You know... just ask."

Harry looked at him with a grin and felt his blush darken in colour, knowing what he meant. Shagging. He felt awkward talking and thinking about shagging with an older student. But at least I was with a fellow gay guy. Then the thought of Draco and himself, naked, in bed, came over him and he couldn't wait for tonight. "Uhm... Yes, will do."

"Sure," Cedric said awkwardly, nodding in agreement as his pink face darkened a little. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Oh, I have this pamphlet for you." He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a blue and white folded pamphlet. "It will help... um... all I can say is that it is very useful. And here's some lubricant too." He gave a shy smile, held out the rolled-up pamphlet for Harry while trying to hold down a giggle. He reached back into his pocket and grabbed out a small black bottle and handed it to Harry also.

"Uh... Thanks?" Harry said as he reached out and grabbed the pamphlet and lubricants from Cedric's grasp. He stared at the blue and white cover of the pamphlet and read the title, 'For doing the do with your dude'. He smiled awkwardly at the cover and saw a couple of weird shaped long objects in different colours on the front cover.

"If you want to know anything else, just err... come find me," Cedric said with his famous charming smile which held a little bit of awkwardness in it. He reached to his neck and gave it a little rub, his cheeks still pink with a flush on them.

"Thanks again, Cedric. I'll see you... Uh... Monday," Harry said quickly as he made his way towards the moving staircases and up to the Fat Lady's portrait while stuffing the pamphlet and lube in his robe pocket. He said the password and rushed into the Common Room, seeing everyone either studying or talking with friends. He ignored everyone and rushed to the 4th year boys dormitory to get his invisibility cloak, some clean boxers, a towel, and his pyjamas. He put the invisibility cloak over himself, rushed back out of the dorm room and down to the common room, exiting out of the portrait and made his way to the Slytherin common room entrance.

Harry didn't even need to say the password when he got down to the Slytherin dungeons as a Slytherin student after Slytherin student kept wandering through the secret entrance. When Ivy and Pansy were walking through, he went in right behind them then quietly headed towards the tunnels but then he saw Ivy whip her head around to face him. Oh god... He looked down, making sure he was covered but watched her sniff the air and furrow her eyebrows. Strange... She couldn't smell his pine scent, could she? He hoped not but if she could that would be a little impressive.

He then turned around and hurried to the 4th year's boys dormitory, snaking his way through the male students and opened the door to the door beside the wooden sign which says '4th years. He freezes as Nott, Goyle, and Blaise look his way from on their beds. He checked himself again to make sure he was covered and he thankfully was. He looked over at Draco's bed, seeing him lying down on his back and looking up at the ceiling with all drapes around him closed except the one facing the door.

Blaise got up off his bed and sighed as he went over to the door,shutting it but felt an odd gust of wind like someone had rushed past him. "That scared the living daylights out of me," he said and rubbed a hand over his forehead, a little confused with how wind could have gotten inside the common room. "I thought Peeves had something to do with it."

"Or the Bloody Baron," Theodore added and flipped a page over of his Potions textbook, now looking down at it with a slight frown.

Harry walked over to Draco's bed and he got in easily. When he saw the smirk appear on Draco's face, he closed the curtain, shutting out all light from in Draco's bed. He pulled off his cloak and leaned down on his Slytherin, crushing him under his body. "Well hello again, my love," he says silently and nearly purs when Draco's hands move up his body and grip onto his arse cheeks. "Needy, are we?"

"Yes, very needy," Draco drawled and slipped his hands around Harry's waist, under the Gryffindor robe, and underneath Harry's pants and boxers, getting a good feel of the arse he'll be thrusting into soon. "What took you so long though? Walking up to Gryffindor Tower and then here can't take you nearly fifteen minutes."

"I ran into Cedric Diggory," Harry said and then remembered the pamphlet the Hufflepuff gave him. He leaned back, Draco's hands sliding out from his pants, his legs bent on either side of the Slytherin's thighs, and he reached into his robe pocket to pull out the pamphlet. "I believe in these pages we'll find a few moved we can try out. It's what Cedric gave me for some reason." He opened the pamphlet up, not seeing the sparkle of interest in Draco's eyes and the first page his eyes come to is the moves section. Merlin... there's so many.

Draco sat up, loving how enthusiastic Harry is with trying out different moves and such with him during sex. But it was strange for Diggory to give Harry such a thing. "How utterly nice of him," he responds as he sees a page in the pamphlet about 'sex toys'. He smirks at the odd-looking colourful long things he's seeing. He twists his body around so he can see what Harry's seeing and sees pictures of men in different sex positions. He sees an interesting one and points to it. "What about this one?"

Harry looks at the position Draco's suggesting and smiles a little at the thought of him riding Draco. Merlin's fucking beard. He wants to try that, to fuck himself on Draco. He looks at Draco whose silver eyes are filled with lust just like before Herbology. "We can do that one if you'd like," he says desirously and ruts himself on Draco just that once.

Draco bites his lip, wanting to try this new position with Harry so he nods. "Shower first though," he tells him hotly and thrusts himself up. He tried to at least as Harry's weight was keeping him pressed on his bed. "You still need to finish where you left off."

Harry slips the pamphlet under Draco's pillow behind the Slytherin and while he does that he leans towards his boyfriend's ears to whisper, "Then let's go already." He leans back, kisses the smirk of Draco's face and pulls his cloak over himself. "See you in the bathrooms, my sexy snake. You better hurry." With his pyjamas and towel in one hand, he used the other to push back the green drapes, sending a bit of light into Draco's bed, he got out and went to the door of the dormitory.

He turned around, leaned his back against the wall next to the door leading out of the dormitory and watched Draco grab a green towel and green silk pyjamas from his trunk. When Draco walked over to the door, Hag=rry grabbed for his hand from under the cloak as he was close enough and walked with him to the boy's bathrooms which were all the way down the hall past the 'Seventh Years' dormitory and at the very end. They entered, Harry kept the cloak on, and they found an empty shower together.

Harry was the first into the grey shower which had two parts to it. One was the actual shower and the other was where the user of the shower would put their clothes and towel in. There was a rack to hand towels on the left side of the shower cubicle and on the right had a shelf to put clothes. He took off his cloak and when Draco entered after him, he shut the grey door behind them, locking it. They stripped each other of their clothes one piece by one, placing their robes and school uniform on the shelf until they were butt naked. Draco had turned the taps on, finding the correct temperature for them both to handle. Not too hot yet not too cold.

Harry pressed their bodies together under the raining shower, placed an arm around Draco's neck, and his other arm rubbed at Draco's thigh. But then he notices something that he should have taken care of earlier. His cuts were showing but since he hadn't cut in a few days they weren't as red. But they still were noticeable. He felt himself panic even if he knows the Slytherin knows of his depression and what started it.

Draco felt his pulse pick up as they stood in the dim-lit shower. Harry's hand hadn't moved, but it felt like it was pumping a burning heat into Draco's leg, a heat that radiated outward and sent signals to parts of his body, waking them up, making them prickle with tension. He sees Harry's panicked face, and from the corner of his eye, he sees red. "Harry, don't be afraid to show your scars to me," he tells him softly, and Harry nods and looks to the ground with a frown. "Don't be ashamed, my darling. Ivy does it too. I'm not angry or mad that you do such a thing to yourself. It's saddening but I believe you'll get better."

Harry nods, looking up at the Slytherin but doesn't believe him. How could he get better? How could he just forget everything the Dursley's have done to him and move on, get better? He decided to distract himself by moving down, and he could feel Draco's eyes on him. He went to the floor below Draco, squatting down between his spread knees. Running the flats of his palms up Draco's thighs, he made his way to Draco's cock. He could smell Draco's thick, heavy scent, the kind that made you want to bury your face between a man's legs and bite down on something, steal the taste from the surface of his skin. He lowered his face and rubbed his lips up and down his erection, running his tongue around his lips coquettishly to lick the taste away.

Harry had a hand wrapped around Draco's cock, wanking himself, his eyes glued on Draco's face, scrutinising his every change in expression. He looked up, his big green eyes innocent and so full of wonder. So full of gratitude for this treat in store, when surely it was Draco who should be grateful?

Draco wanted to watch this so much, but when Harry's tongue lapped at him, Draco's eyes closed and his hips grew a life of their own. He wanted to be in Harry's mouth, but Harry was exploring him, following the long ridge that ran the length of him until the pointy tongue separated his testicles in their fleshy sac, making the skin writhe and contract. He couldn't stop a hand journeying out and fanning over Harry's head, stroking his hair, combing through it to reach the damp warmth of his scalp.

When Harry started to suckle him, Draco lost all sense of time, of himself. Harry's mouth was full of saliva and he barely closed it around Draco's cock, merely brushing the insides of his lips up and down, the satiny smoothness of the friction creating the most delicate stimulation. How could Harry be so good? How could anyone be this good? If he'd been a Muggle, Draco would have considered it witchcraft.

Draco sobbed when Harry started to use his teeth. He could feel them grazing his hardness, barely pressing down against his shaft, but that one sensation multiplied all the others until his groin was a seething mass of physical feelings: lips, tongue, teeth. And eventually, fingers, as Harry raised a hand and circled the bottom of his erection, pulling the skin tight so that his rosy red head vibrated like a drum under each whisper of oral provocation.

He came in moments, not even managing to restrain himself until Harry pursed his lips and sucked. The orgasm wracked his body in waves, but he seemed to come in one solid flood, feeling himself squirting against the roof of Harry's mouth, the enclosed space washing the sperm back onto himself until he could almost tell the difference between the heavy wetness of his own come and the lighter wetness of Harry's saliva. Draco was grateful for the hands that pressed his hips back against the wall, supporting him as he regained control, yet still languishing in the heavenly, weightless afterglow.

"Wow," Harry gasped. "Just wow."

Draco had to agree with Harry there. Wow indeed. He waited for Harry to get back to his feet and then he reached for his wand in his robe pocket and cast the body wash charm over them. After he does that, he and Harry just wash themselves for a few more minutes before getting half dressed meaning just putting on pajama pants, and they headed back to the 4th years dormitory with Harry back under his invisibility cloak.

Draco opens the dormitory door for Harry and he waits a few seconds so he can enter, knowing Harry was already inside, and he shut the door slowly behind him. Looking around the room, he sees that Theodore and Blaise are the only ones awake. He gives them both smiles and goes towards his bed where he sees a drape fold up and then fall back in place again. Harry had just entered his bed.

When he crawled into bed and looked to his side, he saw Harry, smiling. He loves Harry's smiles. He quickly cast a few privacy and anti-sound charms around his bed for the near fun they will soon have. Harry then tried to pull Draco down on top of him, to crush himself under the weight, but Draco wouldn't let him. Instead, he pulled back until he was kneeling, and then he reached forward and pulled Harry's pyjama pants down one inch at a time. So slowly, teasing him with a stray caress here and there until Harry wanted to shove Draco's hands aside and rip them off himself.

He shifted his hips upward as Draco's hands gripped the waistband of his pajama pants and finally tugged them down, exposing his erection, then his thighs, until the pants were gone and he was naked. He could feel Draco's eyes on him. It was like they burned a path into him, but the burn was inside, not on the surface. He pleaded with his eyes for Draco to come to him, and he did, but with tortuous stealth. As Draco squashed him flat and ground his body down into the bed, Harry wrapped his arms and legs around him, pulling Draco's mouth back to his own because he couldn't bear not to be kissing him. The textures of Draco's skin, his hair, drove Harry insane and he wondered how he wasn't crying with the sheer intensity of it all.

When he thought the press of Draco's erection into his stomach was going to snap his self-control, Harry dug his nails almost angrily into Draco's back, just needing to do something to get some blessed relief. Draco tensed at the pain and pulled away from their kiss, shifting his body until he dropped lower, kissing a path from Harry's chin to his shoulder, then down to his nipple, where his wicked mouth stopped to play for a while.

Oh. Oh. Having the skin pulled taut and twisted between unforgiving fingers made Harry shudder. He could feel every flick of Draco's tongue teasing the tiny point, lapping harshly at it before sucking a mouthful of the surrounding skin right into his mouth and clamping his teeth into it, chewing at him unrelentingly. Harry cried out loud in shock at the sudden bite, but he pushed Draco's head into his chest, flexing upwards into his mouth, wondering how the hell Draco had known to do this. Whatever the explanation, Harry's libido was grateful, and his moans and groans made his feelings known.

Draco didn't stop until the skin was purple and bruised. Then he moved lower and lower down Harry's body, licking his skin, or placing gentle kisses on each and every curve until he reached the ridge of Harry's hipbone. Looking down the length of his own body, Harry took in the huge raw bruise on his chest with satisfaction, before his eyes met Draco's staring up at him, and saw his lips hovering the tiniest fraction above the angular joint.

Harry watched the tip of Draco's tongue dart out and press into his skin. The sight made him squirm, bringing into focus just how close to his erection Draco's mouth was. He watched Draco sit back and pull down his green silk pyjama bottoms until that beautiful cock of his sprang free to be worshipped once again.

Draco's body was gorgeous. Harry loved every detail he could remember about it, and he planned to spend hours and hours exploring every square inch with his eyes, his hands, his mouth. But for all Draco's desirability, Harry's immediate hunger was for those ten glorious inches of hard cock, half of which seemed to be poking out above the waistband of his trousers, screaming Look at me. Taste me. Ride me. Harry's hole clenched tightly in anticipation and he let his need for sex shape his face as he stared up at Draco's heavy-lidded eyes.

Draco chucked his pyjama bottoms gracelessly until he knelt naked between Harry's spread legs and reached out a hand to pull Harry up. Even as they were still moving, they were kissing. They ended up as they had started, with Harry sitting in Draco's lap, his knees on either side of Draco's hips but it was so much better now because there was nothing between them. No clothes, just skin.

When they broke apart to pull in some much-needed air, Harry rested his forehead against Draco's and looked down into their laps. Draco's cock was just so fucking beautiful to look at, and he knew he'd spend hours studying every curve and plane, but not right then. Because at that moment, all Harry wanted was to lower himself onto Draco and feel his own body fight to take it all inside. He watched, fascinated, as the tiny little hole seeped moisture, and he knew Draco was watching it too.

Too impatient to wait any longer, Draco sucked two fingers into his mouth and wet them as much as he could. Harry watched him pull them out with a kind of dazed look on his face, but he leaned in and licked away the string of saliva that followed the fingers as they left Draco's mouth and tracked across his lip and chin.

"Sit up, Harry," Draco says as he reached underneath Harry with his saliva-coated fingers and as Harry sat up, raising himself from his seat on Draco's thighs, and he looked down into Draco's desperate face, Draco slid the first finger inside. Harry's eyes widened a little and he gasped at what the Slytherin was doing, trying to get him ready.

The second finger followed it quickly, but Harry had the wrong angle for Draco to do anything more than stretch the tight ring of muscles, so that's all he did. His mouth formed an 'o' shape but he reached behind him to his robe but not far enough for the finger to slide out of him and reached into the pocket, grabbing out the lube he hasn't shown Draco yet.

A few moments later, Harry felt another finger glide inside his hole, probing deeper than the others could reach, and he pushed back against it, trying to take more until he could feel knuckles brushing against his cheeks. He squeezed a generous amount of lube out of the bottle, before transferring it lovingly to the whole of Draco's erection underneath him, working it in just enough to make the thick cream less viscous, more slippery. Draco was smiling now, but it was a lazy, almost drunken smile. His face was pink and his cock was jerking hard in Harry's fist, begging for the attention of a different kind altogether.

When Harry leaned down to kiss Draco, his body shifted so that the fingers inside him had to withdraw. He knelt there, dipping his tongue inside Draco's permissive mouth and feeling the gentle spasms in his anus, knowing he was ready and excited for more. But he made Draco wait, loving the tease, feeling the nervous energy expanding in the body below him as Draco twisted and writhed to increase the friction against his skin.

When Draco breathed, "Harry," into his mouth in the most heart-wrenchingly broken voice, Harry readied himself and moved forward. They looked into each other's eyes the entire time as Harry positioned himself. He held Harry's buttocks apart, so all Harry had to do was wiggle a fraction until he felt the round dome push against his muscles and he sank down, swallowing inches of Draco in one continuous, barely stinging thrust. Harry watched Draco's eyes cloud over as he groaned at the pressure on his cock, and it made him smile to see his pleasure, so open and honest and completely uninhibited.

Harry circled his hips, willing the muscles to stretch enough to make the rest of the penetration easier, and he played with those couple of inches of Draco, sliding them in and out of his body, squeezing them tight inside his hole and letting them go again, moaning at the incredible sensation rippling outwards, making himself hungry for more.

Harry watched Draco glance down at his renewed erection as he sat lower onto that huge, hard cock, working his hips more rhythmically now, building up a steady pace so that his own length bobbed and wobbled between them, sometimes tapping against his own stomach, and sometimes against Draco's. He went carefully, accommodating Draco unhurriedly so that his body could get used to the intrusion, could find the ecstasy in it, rather than the agony. And all the while, Draco stared up into his eyes like he was some kind of god, an expression of perpetual wonder on his face, as well as unmistakable love.

Harry loved Draco as much as he loved Harry. It just added to the swell of passion inside Harry until he was nothing more than a mass of nerve endings, feeling the pleasure multiply and expand until he couldn't think any more. He could just feel. Everything was translated into a physical sensation. He could map every minute movement of his inner muscles, and he knew that there was less than an inch of Draco left to take, and he wanted it with a burning, frightening hunger. The tender spot far up inside him, the one that belonged only to Draco, was pulsing and expanding, demanding the final thrust that would bring him all the way home. Harry was eager for the day when he would be able to ride Draco with abandon, knowing it would only come with practice, wanting to practice a lot, so that the day came sooner.

As Harry settled himself flush against Draco's groin, the whole length of his penis buried in him, he leaned in for a kiss, and Draco kissed him back as if he was a fragile thing of great value, something to be worshipped and cherished and tended with infinite care. It was love; pure and simple. Just love.

Harry rocked his body slowly in Draco's lap, settling himself there, savouring the hot stretch of his anal passage, smiling to himself just like the cat that got the cream. Draco's body seemed to liquefy beneath him until all he could do was flop back into the pillow, gazing lovingly up at Harry, his fingers caressing the taut flesh of his backside in lazy circles.

"Oh, Harry," Draco sighed. "You feel so good." And after long seconds, he breathed, "Don't stop. Don't ever stop."

"I won't," Harry whispered back honestly, the gentlest of smiles gracing his lips.

Placing his hands on either side of Draco's head, Harry used the bed to balance himself as they made love. He set a steady, languid glide up and down Draco's shaft, reacting to every tiny bump and ripple along its length as they rubbed against his insides, creating wave after wave of comforting tingles up and down his spine, extending inquisitive fingers into his hair until even his scalp was alive with pleasure. His testicles nestled snugly against Draco's pubic bone at the low point of each thrust and he could feel the tickle of hair against them in his hypersensitivity.

After long, long minutes, Draco began to thrust beneath him, rising up carefully to meet his downward strokes, permitting the deepest penetration yet as their bodies bumped gently together. Harry was almost beside himself with emotion, and he tipped his head back and closed his eyes as he absorbed the subtle impact, feeling his cock grow so rigid it hurt for a while. He rode Draco that way for ages until soft lips against his throat brought him back from his almost out-of-body experience.

After all, his mind was being loved as much as his body, and it was hard not to get swept away under the tender onslaught. He cupped his hands behind Draco's head, combing his fingers through the blonde soft strands as he drew him forward, pulling him into contact with his mouth because he needed to do something to stop himself from getting lost again. They did little more than press their lips against each other's cheeks, their noses, but it felt so much more intimate than that. Draco's hands stroked him up and down his back, gripping his bottom before trailing silky paths along his spine and circling his shoulders and dropping down again.

Harry lost track of time. He had no idea how long they stayed like that, kissing and caressing and rocking together, but it could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. When his body was loosened and welcoming, he made his thrusting just a bit harder, eliciting sharper groans from Draco as he flexed his insides to grip at him, revelling in Draco's crumbling composure.

It took Draco a very long time to come, and that was mostly because Harry wouldn't rush. Draco crushed their torsos together and held Harry still as he made his final pumps upward, doing the last of the work until he orgasmed with aching leisure, groaning his relief into Harry's neck as he said his name over and over again. They clung together for a while, and Harry could feel their chests sticking together as their faint sheens of perspiration cooled and began to dry.

Everything inside Harry's anus began to feel different as Draco's angry hardness softened, and the thick, creamy liquid of his semen seeped downwards, soothing the tenderly abused passage. Harry barely paid his own erection any attention as he watched Draco relax back, surrounded by some kind of imaginary glow that exuded complete satiation.

When he brushed some long strands of hair away from Draco's cheek, Harry watched those big silver eyes open and look up at him.

"I've never felt anything like that before," Draco whispered, seeming reluctant to speak louder and break the heady atmosphere. "Sex with you is incredible, Harry," he said with the shyest smile. "You're incredible," he finished, settling his head back into the cushions and closing his eyes again. Harry imagined he could feel his heart pumping the blood around his body, infusing it with the love he was drowning in.

He smiled, but it was a smile just for himself as he basked in the glow of Draco's affection. He felt Draco's hand move from his thigh, where it had fallen and rested. It moved to circle his cock and take a hold, but Harry pried his fingers back and set the hand away again, shaking his head when Draco opened his eyes and frowned. Harry reached for the bottle of lubricant and rubbed some across his fingertips and his palm before he took a hold of himself and began to stroke. The lubricant was cold against his length and it gave him a shiver.

He was too hard, really. The skin of his glans felt overstretched and throbbing and he knew if he touched himself there he would come in seconds, so he kept his hand lower, fondling his sac and the wide base of his length with firm, confident movements. He watched the lubricant make his already sticky skin shiny and wet, and his breath caught in his throat as he felt the jerks of arousal push against his curled fist. Draco sighed his approval as he looked down into Harry's lap, digging his fingertips deeper into Harry's buttocks as he enjoyed the sight.

Under the weight of Draco's scrutiny, Harry found he couldn't hold back. He ran his hand along the entire length of his erection, squeezing the dark red head between his thumb and forefinger on each pass until he was panting aloud, and his orgasm was imminent. When Draco's hand covered his own, Harry came undone. He felt his sac draw tight and then the come was squirting out of him, but instead of messing their chests with the hot liquid, it sprayed into Draco's cupped hand, soaking it in an instant, even as more pumped out and forced its way between Draco's fingers.

Harry choked out a low sob as he dropped his own hand back and let Draco touch him while he emptied himself completely. All he could feel was the manic throbbing of his swollen head and the sticky-thick come dripping down him, being stroked into his shaft by gentle fingers. He was exhausted. Elated, for sure, but completely shattered. He moved to lie against Draco's chest, wondering how he was going to find the energy to lift himself out of Draco's lap, or do anything but fall asleep right on this very spot.

Draco rocked him slowly, rubbing his back in comforting patterns until his eyelids felt leaden and he knew he could be asleep in seconds. The Slytherin gripped his arse cheeks and with a slow move downwards and a tug towards him, Draco's softened and slippery wet cock slipped slowly out of Harry's arse and fell splat on his stomach.

Harry smiled and just lay on Draco's chest, his body sending his brain happy thoughts and feelings that flushed away anything negative. He felt sleep already start eating away at him and he wanted to fall asleep in his boyfriend's arms. He pressed a loud kiss to Draco's neck which earned him a little laugh from below and a soft "I love you, Harry" to which he replied with a tired "I love you too, Draco" back.

"Harry, let me," Draco says and when Harry sleepily gets up from on top of him, he pulls the sheets and duvet underneath them down past their knees so they can get in under the blankets and snuggle up close to one another to keep warm. "Much better. Have a goodnight sleep, Harry."

All Harry could manage to say is an "Mmm" before he drifts off to sleep in the warmth and comfort of Draco's arms. The Slytherin smiles and presses a gentle kiss to Harry's forehead. Merlin... this round of lovemaking was incredible and he couldn't wait for the next one. Just as he closed his eyes, they shot open when the curtains to Harry's side of the bed were forced open and the head of Blaise Zabini appeared.

Blaise's face became a little pink at the sight of his best friend and Harry Potter half-naked in bed together. He didn't know Harry came up here. How did he even get in without being seen? "Sorry, Draco," he whispers and looks into the eyes of his slightly irritated boyfriend. "I um... I saw your bed rocking and I thought you must have been having a nightmare or something. I wasn't the only one who saw your bed rocking. Gregory has seen in too and he's starting to get a little curious."

"Let him think what he wants to, Blaise," Draco whispers with narrowed eyes at his Italian best friend. At least he knows the sound and privacy charms had worked. But the bed rocking thing he knew he couldn't stop that. "As long as he doesn't think there's a female in my bed... I don't want false rumours spreading through the school."

"Gregory knows you and Harry are dating, Draco," Blaise tells him, a smirk formed on his mouth but only halfway. "Like that time in Herbology a week ago you just dipped Harry over the table and kissed him in front of the entire class. If that doesn't scream 'couple' then I don't know what will. Oh, and your shagging secret is safe with me if you don't want Pansy and Ivy finding out."

"Dra-co," came the slow voice of a tired Harry Potter below them, and Draco and Blaise looked down at the half-asleep Gryffindor in Draco's arms. "What's happening?" He didn't even open his eyes, he just lay there, only his chest was moving up and down as he breathed in the citrusy scent of his boyfriend.

"Shhh," Draco whispers into Harry's ear, and his hand comes up to gently run through Harry's dark hair. "Nothing's happening, my darling. Go back to sleep." He presses a soft kiss to Harry's temple and shooed Blaise away with a flicked hand towards him. Harry sighs happily and smiles under the Slytherin's loving gesture, sticking his head into Draco's chest and fell back to sleep. Slowly, after Blaise left them be, Draco fell asleep too.


End file.
